Sylhet Residents Are Angry Over Development Demand Ultimatum

Leaders of various social organizations and professionals, including the Jalalabad Association, participated in this “protest sit-in” program of Sylhet expatriates in solidarity. During this time, the participants carried posters and placards with slogans such as, "Why discrimination in Sylhet?," "Why a conspiracy in Sylhet?," "Sylhet is my sacred land. Why is Sylhet deprived?," "We want a new train on the Sylhet-Dhaka-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar route," "We want an end to deprivation," "We want the development of Sylhet."

Moderated by journalist and organizer Ibrahim Chowdhury Khokon, the speakers included, Sylhet mass leader Bir Muktijoddha Babrul Hossain, Bir Muktijoddha Abdul Mukit Chowdhury, Bangladesh Society President Ataur Rahman Selim, former secretary Rana Ferdous Chowdhury, Jalalabad Association President Badrul Hossain Khan, Time Television CEO Abu Taher, Selina Uddin, coordinator of environmental organization Dharitree Rakhay Amara-Dhara USA, journalists Mahbubur Rahman, Syed Elias Khosru, Emdad Dipu, Viola Selina, Shelly Zaman Khan, community activists Moinul Haque Helal, Faku Chowdhury, Azimur Rahman Burhan, Saifulah, Atiq Rahman, Alim Uddin, Sheikh Atiq, and leaders from various walks of life.

New York State Assembly Member candidate Mary Zobaida participated in the program by expressing solidarity, and drawing the attention of the Bangladesh government to take urgent steps for the development of Sylhet.

At the rally, a memorandum was read out by the new generation representative Sumaiya Chowdhury to the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh.

During the location program, the speakers said, "The greater Sylhet region (Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, and Habiganj) is a unique resource of natural resources, a tourist area. 40 percent of the country's gas is supplied from Sylhet. Sylhet has tea, stone, soil, sand, electricity, and everything. And we, Sylhetities, will only send remittances, but will not get development. How can this be? The wheels of the country's economy are kept moving with the money from our remittances. However, there is no development in Sylhet. This cannot happen."

The speakers said, "Thousands of crores of taka are allocated to even one police station in the country. But Sylhet division does not get a single penny. Why [are there] such inequality in development? Considering the importance, we demand equal allocation to Sylhet like all regions. This voice should be raised not from New York, but globally. From wherever Sylhet is."

From the protest position, speakers made various demands, including upgrading the Dhaka-Sylhet highway to 6 lanes, launching the international airport, activating the Sylhet Development Authority, modernizing the Osmani Medical College Hospital, meeting the needs of Sylhet first through local power generation, and stopping bribery and corruption.