Back to news
13 Dec 2016 | News

International Mountain Day Celebrated in Dhaka, Bangladesh

2 mins Read

70% Complete
Golam Rasul highlighting the importance of cultural heritage and its embedded value for sustainable mountain development in CHT Photo: Anu Kumari Lama

ICIMOD participated in a discussion and mountain fair programme organized by the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MoCHTA) on December 11  to mark International Mountain Day 2016 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In line with this year’s theme. “Mountain Cultures: Celebrating Diversity and Strengthening Identity”, ICIMOD and the Bandarban Hill District Council celebrated hill culture, diversity, and identity.

Secretary of MoCHTA, Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura, chaired the discussion programme. He highlighted ICIMOD’s contributions to promoting sustainable development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), an area that epitomizes mountain culture and diversity in Bangladesh. The region is crucial to strengthening identity, and strengthening customary local traditions, practices, and languages is critical in this regard.

Tripura thanked ICIMOD and Golam Rasul for bringing out a vision document for CHT on sustainable development goals. Rasul shed light on the importance of cultural heritage. He talked about the embedded value through which mountain culture, and the identity of CHT’s ethnic communities  can be strengthened.

Minister Rashed Khan Menon inaugurated the mountain fair programme. Its key objectives included highlighting the importance of mountain people, who, as largely farm and non-farm based producers, have diversified livelihoods .

Anu K Lama briefing the Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon on Himlalica Tourism Pilot Projects in Ruma Upazila, Bandarban district, CHT
Photo: Shiva Hari Khatri

The fair is a five-day programme that will continue till December 16.  It intends to benefit the people of Ruma Upazila, Bandarban district, and hopes that the exhibition of local handcrafts, food, horticultural and agricultural produce, and traditional attire, will help get word on Bandarban further out. All of the local products have been grouped together under the ‘Bandarban’ brand. Menon and other dignitaries present on the inaugural day showed great interest in learning about the Bandarban tourism pilot project, the Bandarban brand, and the products on display.

Altogether, 63 stalls are exhibiting at the fair. ICIMOD publications, posters and photos are being displayed in one of them, and questions from visitors are most welcome. Other stalls showcase mostly textiles and handicrafts, and the local dishes and drinks of the CHT. A cultural programme showcasing local culture was put up on the first day of the event.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon presided over the inauguration as chief guest. Other dignitaries, from State Minister to Councils Chairmen (Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban) were also present on the inaugural day. A message from David Molden, Director General of ICIMOD, was shared with the attending dignitaries.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related Content

Continue exploring this topic

12 May 2015 News
The International Glacier symposium in Kathmandu

  The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) through its Cryosphere Initiative hosted the first International Glacier Symposium (IGS) in ...

Understanding of glaciers’ health calls for precise estimations of ice losses into water equivalent

Glaciers in the upper Indus supply more than half of the river water and are experiencing significant melting. There is ...

10 Dec 2018 HI-LIFE
Fostering Regional Cooperation for Primate Conservation and Research in the Far-Eastern Himalaya

The meetings involved protected area managers, scholars, and experts from within and outside the landscape and explored opportunities and constraints ...

22 Sep 2015 News
Policy conference supports action on adaptation

Experts working across the Indus River Basin came together during a ...

National Partners trained on Participatory Ecosystem Based Planning and Management

ICIMOD, in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Division (WCD) of Department of Forest and Park Services (DoFPS), Bhutan, organised a seven-day ...

17 May 2017 News
Using Geospatial tools Towards Effective Preparation of LAPAs

ICIMOD provides technical guidance and support on using geographic information system (GIS) tools in planning at the sub-watershed level to ...

17 Aug 2018 HUC
Yunnan University Hosts Second HUC Water Group Meeting

Established in November 2017, the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) Thematic Working Group on Water (Water Group) is a regional initiative ...

24 Jul 2019 Cryosphere
Reassessing Tsho Rolpa glacial lake

Tsho Rolpa is a large, potentially dangerous glacial lake in Nepal that has been the subject of extensive research and ...