Rubber cultivation changes destiny of 4,000 landless families

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BANDARBAN, Sept 8 (UNB): Rubber cultivation under the government's Highland Settlement Project has changed the fate of about 15,000 members of 4,000 tribal families of the two hill districts.
Highland Settlement Project sources said the tribal families of Bandarban and Khagrachhari districts, who were depended on 'Jhum' cultivation, were given 1,000 acres of land in 1994 to rehabilitate them.
Each of the family received 5.25 acres of khas land for rubber cultivation under the settlement project with the financial assistance of CHT Development Board.
After starting production in the rubber gardens last year, each of the family is now earning Tk 2,000 to Tk 6,000 from the garden monthly.
The government is also earning about Tk 0.6 million in revenue selling rubber sheets per month. "It could be doubled in future," sources here said.
Officials said the families are earning the money selling their labour. They are also getting share from the profit of the government as per the agreement.
A team of Ministry of CHT Affairs, led by Deputy Secretary Raushan Ara, visited the rubber projects and rubber factories in Bandarban and Khagrachhari and expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved within a short period of time.