The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff reporter

Speakers at a press conference urged the government to take initiative giving most priority to Dalits as they are most oppressed in the society.

Dalits, the excluded community, demanded their share of the national economy of the country to change their fate.

Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM) organised the conference at DRU in the capital. It organised the conference to highlight the 1st National Conference of Human Right, which is going to be held on January 16 on January 17 in Dhaka.

Babu Lal Sarder, President of BDERM, read out the keynote paper, while Zakir Hossain, Chief Executive Director of Nagorik Udyog, Moni Rani Das and Mukul Shikder, Members of the BDERM attended the programme.

Presenting the Keynote Babu Lal said though 55 lakhs of Dalits live in the country they have no representative in politics to make policy for them.

He added their life has been covered with a blanket of hatred and discrimination. Even the policy makers of the country did not think to change their life by demolishing discriminatory thoughts and prejudice.

Babu also said they have been facing many problems to lead their life in the society as they are the victim of oppression and discrimination to get any job or treatment from the hospital.

They urged the government to make them rehabilitated in the Khash-land, as they are landless.

Our children had been facing many problems as a Dalit child, the class mates used to avoid them, in many cases teachers did not pay proper attention to them, they said.

They also expressed their desire for strengthening their cultural traditions, which are the symbols of their community.

They hoped that their conference would be effective to make their bondage strong to achieve dalits' social and political freedom and rights.