Swarna Dweep: a Glimpse of Prosperous BD - Back Page - Observerbd.Com

12/8/2019 Swarna Dweep: A glimpse of prosperous BD - Back Page - observerbd.com

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Swarna Dweep: A glimpse of prosperous BD Published : Thursday, 18 January, 2018 at 12:00 AM Count : 933

Mamunur Rashid back from Swarna Dweep Noakhali

A partial view of the development activities undertaken by Bangladesh Army at Swarna Dweep in Noakhali. photo : ISPR

https://www.observerbd.com/details.php?id=117276 1/5 12/8/2019 Swarna Dweep: A glimpse of prosperous BD - Back Page - observerbd.com

Swarna Dweep will be a model for all the newly-emerging land in the mouth of the Bay of Bengal mostly in Noakhali, Cox's Bazar, Patuakhali, Feni, Bhola and Chittagong. Since 2014, the Bangladesh Army has been working relentlessly to turn the uninhabitable and remote Swarna Dweep off Noakhali into a prosperous island. Swarna Dweep is an island situated in the Meghna estuary and close to the Bay. The Bangladesh Army offers a glimpse of how a prosperous Bangladesh may look like. As the island is being mainly developed as a training and exercise ground for the Bangladesh Army, a container camp (accommodation project), known as sappers' camp, has been built as the living quarters of the troops. At least 25,000 troops have taken different trainings from the camp so far. The training support facilities being built is expected to raise the Army's professional efficiency. The island popularly known as the Jahaijjar Char in Noakhali district surfaced in 1978. According to 33 Infantry Divisions of the Bangladesh Army, the island was renamed 'Swarna Dweep' and the government allocated it to the Bangladesh Army in 2012 for training as well as development of the island for habitation, improve law and order and forestation. Situated three metres above the sea level, the island is now 28 kilometers long and 14 kilometers wide in area. The land is now thriving with multiple development projects of the government on dairy farming, fishing, vegetation and forestation. The army's 33rd Infantry Division from Comilla Cantonment is now in command of the island. "A coconut orchard is being developed for which 1,500 saplings of coconut trees have been imported from Vietnam. Other vegetables are also grown there. Dead animals and wastes are buried in the ground to avoid pollution," sources said. A military farm has been developed with more than 13,000 buffaloes, 16,000 sheep and 8,000 cows. There are also hens, ducks and pigeons in the dairy farm. "We have set up cheese factories. These factories produce huge quantity of cheese per day from buffalo milk," sources added. The fish, meat, milk, eggs and cheese produced at Swarna Dweep Military Dairy Farm meets the demand for https://www.observerbd.com/details.php?id=117276 2/5 12/8/2019 Swarna Dweep: A glimpse of prosperous BD - Back Page - observerbd.com protein of the locals and the surplus is shipped to Chittagong and Comilla cantonments, said officials. The Ministry of Environment and Forests have so far set up two multipurpose cyclone centres at a cost of Tk 70 million, while three more are underway, he added. A Tk 1.6 million protect has brought an area of 116 hectares under forestation, which now plays a pivotal role in preventing environmental disasters. "A total of 2,000 seeds of Keora and 60,000 seeds of Paban Jhau trees have been sown by spraying them from a helicopter over the south and southeast zone," he said adding that 35 villages have also been designed. Already 5,000 families are earning their livelihood through the projects here.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regularly gets updates on the Swarna Dweep. With her support and the efforts of the Army, it will soon become another prosperous Bangladesh," sources said. Two cyclone shelters-Mainamati Camp -1 and Sharnadeep Camp-are already in place. They have been designed to provide shelter to the island population during inclement weather. At both camps, water is supplied from deep tube wells and fresh water conserved in two ponds that have been dug. By now, the island also has a helipad. For treatment of the soldiers, a field hospital has also been set up with MI room facilities. The local people, too, can get emergency medical services here.

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