SK, Liton Kutubi, Kutubdia Representative: The government is providing civic benefits to the people of the mainland by building ferry services, sea truck services, bridges, and even tunnels to facilitate communication on various river routes of the country. Milestones of development in communication are visible in most of the islands in remote areas including rivers, haors, remote hilly areas. Thus, the people of the region are enjoying five of the five basic rights as a collective people. But only two lakh people of Qutubdia Island are deprived of all these facilities. Due to the delay in communication, the price of every thing, starting from daily necessities, has to be doubled as well as additional money.
Advisor of Kutubdia Upazila Press Club Zainal Abedin told The Crime that Kutubdia island was named after the char that arose in the Bay of Bengal five hundred years ago, separated from the mainland of Chittagong. Since that time, the island has been inhabited. Since then, through continuous challenges, the people living on the island have been in daily contact with the mainland by crossing the Kutubdia Channel. From that time to the present, the government has built five visible jetties for crossing from Kutubdia Island.
কুতুবদিয়ার দুঃখ চ্যানেল পারাপার,স্বপ্নই রয়ে যাচ্ছে পারাপারে ফেরী সার্ভিস
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More than 50,000 people use the jetty at that crossing every day. Dennis boats, speed boats are used for traveling through Qutubdia channel (from Qutubdia) to Magnama of Pekua, Uzantia, Chanua of Banskhali, Matarbari of Maheshkhali. Again, large cargo trawlers move to Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar through Kutubdia channel for carrying goods. Electricity was a difficult issue for Kutubdia Island. The current government has also implemented the island as a milestone by lighting up the island by supplying electricity through sub-marine cables. In keeping with the times, the only demand of the people of the island is to start a ferry service across the island.
Coast Foundation director Mohammad Rezaul Karim Chowdhury told The Crime that people everywhere are being deprived of their basic rights due to the backwardness of communication in Kutubdia Island. The government has artificially levied harassing taxes on the people of the island who have to pay the toll even if they walk. The people of Kutubdia Island are being discriminated against at the jetty or ghat crossing. If you leave Kutubdia Island and walk to the jetty, you have to pay a toll of five taka. Why is the question raised? Only the people of Qutubdia Island have to collect the toll by foot. Mug’s mulluk! Tolls are collected only for vehicles on bridges and tunnels under the river on different rivers of the country. I have not seen any country in the world collecting toll on human resources. But in the case of the people of Kutubdia Island, they have to pay the toll if they walk on both sides.
Dubai expatriate Enamul Haq told The Crime that five jetties were constructed for the people of Qutubdia to cross. Vehicles used for crossing these jetties are not standard. He demanded that modern mechanical boat system, sea truck, ferry service should be started for the present time.
Qutubdia Judicial Magistrate Court senior lawyer Ayub Hossain told The Crime, “We are people of Qutubdia Island by birth.” The government leases the jetty ghat and the Qutubdia channel crossing. A class of people submit bids for leases at sky-high prices by competing in tenders while taking leases. Then to collect the tender money, the steam roller is run to collect the toll at a high price on the common people.
