The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rajshahi

Speakers at a project sharing meeting here on Tuesday stressed the need for undertaking effective steps to make the Aboriginal people competent in all aspects especially literacy and social empowerment so that they could take themselves forward.

In this context, they underlined the need for a concerted effort to bring the Aborigines in the mainstream of society for their substantial welfare. Importance should also be given to protecting the ethnic community people from all sorts of repression and oppression by the surrounding opportunists for their peaceful survival.

Depicting grim pictures of their vulnerable lifestyle and other social context, they also laid stress on undertaking special programme to protect them against massive violation of human rights along with safeguarding against discrimination. Association for Community Development (ACD), a Rajshahi-based NGO, arranged the meeting styled "Promotion of Women's' Access to Community Management Productive Assets and Democratic Process" at its conference hall.

Prominent Social Researcher Dr. Hamida Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Dr. Jahangir Alam, CIDA Representative Nilufer Sultana Shweta, research officer of Aboriginal Cultural Academy Benjamin Tudu and Convener of Bangladesh Adibashi Union Rebeka Soren spoke on the occasion as resource persons.

ACD Executive Director Salima Sarwar presented the keynote paper on the topic with president of the organisation and Professor Dr. Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan of Geology and Mining Department of Rajshahi University in the chair. Stressing the need for protecting the rights of the tribal community people, they also said importance should be given to protecting the underprivileged people from all sorts of deceptions by the surrounding privileged and muscle powers. They said the media have a big role to uphold the self- determination of the indigenous people to protect their cultural diversity.

Taking part in the open discussion, some leaders of different indigenous communities coming from different areas narrated their vulnerable social status and said the minority people should be given opportunities of enjoying fundamental rights for development of their socio-economic condition.