Make natl strategy to support dalit, says Gowher Rizvi
Staff Reporter
International affairs adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Gowher Rizvi has urged the government to make a national strategy to support the dalit (backward) and adibashi (tribal) communities and also to build a separate ministry for them to protect their basic human rights.
He made this statement at the national launch of HEKS/EPER Bangladesh 20172020, which was held at a hotel in Dhaka yesterday.
Attending the programme as chief guest, Rizvi said that like all other Bangladeshis, dalit and adibashi people had also fought for the freedom of the country in 1971. So, they cannot be deprived of any human rights.
In the programme phase 20132016, the Swiss aid organization HEKS/EPER strengthened its focus on the dalit and adibashi communities living in the northwest of Bangladesh.
The programme coordinator of HEKS/EPER Bangladesh, Mozahidul Islam, gave a brief introduction about the operation of HEKS/EPER in Bangladesh.
He said that HEKS/EPER opened a country office in Dhaka in 2006. Since then, it has been focusing on the development of rural communities, including the dalits and adibashis, in the northwest and southeast of Bangladesh.
The market development manager of HEKS/EPER Bangladesh, Nurun Nahar, presented an impact assessment baseline updated survey about the tribal people. The survey shows there has been a significant change in the relationship build-up category. There has been a 54 per cent increase among the tribal people in this category than the previous year, indicating that they feel comfortable going out with other people.
Desk officer of HEKS/EPER Bangladesh, Vincent Hug, presented a keynote paper and described the four-year-plan of HEKS/EPER in Bangladesh.
He said the overall goal of the country programme of HEKS/EPER Bangladesh is the social cohesion of dalit and adibashi communities in northwest Bangladesh. Therefore, HEKS/EPER works towards the social inclusion of these marginalised communities, which results in a multidimensional process with six interrelated outcomes, he added.
The country director of HEKS/EPER Bangladesh, Anik Asad, said that in four years, the programme aims to reach out to 40,443 direct People of our Concern (PooC) and an estimated number of 63,496 indirect PooC through direct interventions. Advocacy activities will indirectly affect the lives of all dalits and adibashis in the northwest region.
