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Brattyajan Resource Centre (BRC)

Dedicated to the Marginalized and Excluded Communities

Brattyajan is a Bangla word (Brattaya meaning devotee + jan meaning people) that well defines the excluded and marginalized groups and communities of Bangladesh. From ancient times (Vedic age), the word means people who are devout, honest, simple and peace-loving. When we get close to the indigenous communities and all other marginalized and excluded groups we see they are simple, honest, religious, devout, craftsmen and peace-loving. However, they have fallen behind and they are generally poorer than others, facing human rights abuses and do not get respect they deserve, largely because of their simplicity, honesty, humbleness, minority status, ethnic identities, casteism, occupations considered to be low and lower level of education than the majority community. They are generally considered ‘others’ by the majority community, pushed to the edge and it is hard for them to migrate out of their current status.

Brattyajan Resource Centre (BRC) has been initiated through the project, “Promoting human rights of marginalized groups in Bangladesh through Brattyajan Resource Centre” funded by MISEREOR and Caritas France that are committed to promoting social justice, human rights and sound environment.

There are hundreds of government and non-government organizations that provide services to the marginalized and excluded communities. Yet, many of these groups remain invisible because of dearth of information. The ultimate goal of BRC is to contribute concretely to the protection of the marginalized and excluded communities and work unitedly with all stakeholders to assist them become equal and dignified citizens of the country.

Brochure

English
Bangla

Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD)

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE (PDF)

Postal Address
Green Valley
147/1 Green Road (2nd Floor)
Flat No. 2A, Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
T: +88-02-58153846
M: +8801715009123

E: philip.gain@gamil.com; sehd@sehd.org
www.sehd.org, www. brattyajan.org

Contact person:
Philip Gain, Director
E: philip.gain@gmail.com
M: +8801715009123

Legal Status

a) Registered with NGO Affairs Bureau, Bangladesh. Registration No.839, Dated 23/06/1994.
b) Registered with Joint Stock Companies, Bangladesh. Registration No. S-2152 (185)/99, Dated 15/06/1999.

Introduction
Established in 1993, SEHD is a non-profit Bangladeshi organization working for human rights and environmental justice through research, training, dialogue, awareness raising and advocacy. SEHD works closely with the indigenous, marginalized, excluded and vulnerable communities.

     In the areas of human rights, SEHD stands unique in building knowledge and creating awareness with regard to socially excluded and disadvantaged communities such as adivasis or indigenous peoples, tea workers, sex workers, transgender (TG), Harijan or sweeper, Rishi or cobbler (Harijan and Rishi identify themselves as Dalit as well), Jaladas (literal meaning is water slaves for fishermen in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar coasts), Kaiputra or Kawra (pig rearing community), Bede (gypsies), Bihari,  and different other groups. These excluded groups [with roughly six million people] are among the poorest of the poor of the country. SEHD is also an advocate for the rights of these marginalized and excluded communities.

SEHD has been particularly addressing the s­ocial, economic and cultural rights of these communities who are denied their rightful place in society. SEHD, since its establishment, has carried out its work through action-oriented research, investigation and diverse publications and by offering skill sharing and capacity building training on the subjects and areas it works in. Its targets of capacity building activities have been journalists, academic communities, human rights defenders, community leaders, civil society organizations (CSOs) and community based organizations (CBOs).

The issues of social exclusion and marginality are far away from gaining the required policy and social attention. The problem has been compounded by relative empirical invisibility and insufficient intellectual clarity. The issue of intellectual clarity is very important because social exclusion embodies a double burden of poverty and marginality. For the socially excluded groups, the challenges are at once economic, social and political. Exclusion can emanate from social stigma, disappearing occupations, dispossession from land rights, physical disabilities, ethnic marginalization and other causes. Developing intellectual clarity on such dynamics can strategically empower efforts and organizations that work with the excluded groups. SEHD also seeks to draw attention to these problems by giving affected communities a voice through its publications, investigative reporting, training, and grassroots empowerment programs.

     In the field of environment SEHD’s focus has been particularly on man-made disasters and degradation of resource bases throughout the country. In its research, investigation and other actions SEHD has been attending those impacted by deforestation, social forestry aiming at doing social good but actually contributing to severe degradation of forests, man-made flood protections in the coasts, ill effects of mangrove destruction, rubber and tobacco monocultures that also cause serious environmental destruction, and industrial pollution among others. The indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in the Southeast and those in other parts of Bangladesh have faced tough realities due to development projects, degradation of forests and monoculture plantations. On the public forestland the indigenous peoples generally do not have title deeds for their land and the state does not recognize customary rights over land. This causes insurmountable difficulties for them. Commercial monoculture plantations of rubber and other exotic species (eucalyptus and acacia being the major ones) have also caused serious difficulties for them because these have drastically reduced their access to commons. Hundreds of thousands of victims of the natural disasters and man-made degradation in the coastal regions have lost their means of livelihood. Many have migrated to cities to live in slums. SEHD’s research and investigation in other parts of the country unveil degradation of natural resources and its impacts on people, particularly the poor.

SEHD, for the last three decades, has established synergies between human rights and environment and has demonstrated how important it is for human rights and environmental organizations to create pathways for work, focused and result-oriented. The knowledge resources (books, monographs, reports, documentary films, etc.) it has developed and shared with wide range of targets and users show its unique strategies and actions.

  1. Key activities
  2. Research and analysis: Action-oriented research, survey and analysis are central to SEHD’s primary information generation and dissemination. Major areas in which SEHD has developed special expertise in research, survey and analysis include but not limited to: exclusion challenges in Bangladesh (most attended groups are Adivasi, tea communities, sex workers, transgender, Bede, Rishi, Kaiputra, Harijans, Jaladas, and Biharis), cultural diversity, national elections, journalism, land, forest commons, forest peoples, and social protection in the field of human rights. ln the areas of environment SEHD’s attention is focused on both general state of environment and specific issues. SEHD’s specific areas of attention in the field of environment are underlying factors of ruination of forest, severe ill effects of plantations, monoculture in most part, with financial support from Asian Development Fund (ADF) and International Development Association (IDA), shrimp aquaculture for consumption in western countries in particular and its phenomenal impacts on sensitive coasts of Bangladesh, mangrove destruction, energy, and climate change.
  3. Investigation and fact-finding: Engagement in routine investigative reporting is an important and strategic way for SEHD to gather primary information and understand the underlying causes of human rights abuses committed against the excluded and marginalised communities and factors that lead to environmental degradation. SEHD has also been training the professional journalists and others interested on how to go about investigation for the last three decades. Its most significant contribution to investigative journalism in Bangladesh is that it has opened up new frontiers of investigative reporting in the field of environment and human rights, set ethical standard and has added handbooks, reporting guide and various literature that are based on local anecdotes and evidences. Link to see examples of its recent investigative reports: https://brattyajan.org/investigations/.
  4. Visual documentation: Visual documentation—photography and documentary film—is integral part of SEHD’s investigation and research with communities in particular. Use of photos with investigative reports, op-eds and books make the information and analyses on critical issues more understandable and accessible. SEHD occasionally exhibits photos—so far it has organized 10 photography exhibitions. It has also produced 11 investigative documentary films. These photography exhibitions and documentary films cover wide-ranging issues such as struggle of Adivasis with land and forest, life of the Bede (gypsy), plantations, culture, tea workers, Phulbari open pit, shrimp aquaculture and the coasts. These visuals are used in training, orientation and academic discussions. YouTube link to most of the documentary films:

https://www.youtube.com/@philipgain563/videos

Outputs and impacts of SEHD’s research and investigation show others including the media and set ethical standard in reporting in depth in the areas of human rights and environment.

  1. Publications and productions: outputs of research and investigation

Books                                                                          

  1. Modhupur—Aronner Artonad: Pages 172, PBK, Price: BDT 500
  2. Bangladesher Prantik O Bichhinno Jonogoshthi O Tader Challenge (Report O Bisleshon): Pages 256, PBK, Price: BDT 400.
  3. Cha Sramiker Mojuri: Maliker Labh, Sramiker Loksan (Tea Workers’ Wages: Owners Win, Workers Lose), (Bangla, PBK 128 pages, 2023)
  4. Cha Sramiker Katha (The Story of Tea Workers) (updated second edition, Bangla, PBK 448 pages, 2023)
  5. Khudra Jatishatta O Prantik Janagoshthir Pashe: Chintar Shachhata o Acharanbidhi (On the side of the smaller ethnic communities and marginalized groups: intellectual clarity and code of conduct, Book, Bangla, PBK, 204 pages 2019)
  6. Cha Sramiker Shangskritik Jibon: Monograph and Directory (Cultural Life of the Tea Workers-Monograph and Directory, Book, Bangla, PBK 140 pages, YEAR)
  7. State of the Excluded and Marginalized Communities (Book, English, PBK, 244 pages, 2019)
  8. Modhupur: The Vanishing Forest and her People in Agony (Book, English, PBK, 158 pages, 2019)
  9. Slaves In These Times: Tea Communities of Bangladesh (English, PBK 396 pages, 2016)
  10. On the Margins: Images of Tea Workers and Ethnic Communities (English, PBK 232 pages, 2016)
  11. Lower Depths: Little-known Ethnic Communities of Bangladesh (English, PBK 220 pages, 2016)
  12. Excluded Groups and Democratization (English, PBK 80 pages, 2015)
  13. Sundarbans Atlas: Bangladesh Forest Compartment Maps and Gazetteer by Helmut Denzau, Gertrud Neumann-Denzau, Peter Gerngross (English, PBK 172 pages, 2015)
  14. The Chittagong Hill Tracts: Man-Nature Nexus Torn (English, PBK 368 pages, 2013)
  15. Energy Challenges and Phulbari Crisis (English, PBK 242 pages, 2013)
  16. Survival on the Fringe: Adivasis of Bangladesh (English, HBK 644 pages, 2011
  17. Bangladesh: Land, Forest and Forest People (English, 3rd edition, PBK 284 pages, 2013)
  18. Shores of Tear (English, PBK 144 pages, 2013)
  19. The Environmental Impacts of the Pulp and Paper Industry in Bangladesh (English, PBK 44 pages, 2013)
  20. Stolen Forests (English, HBK 216 pages, 2006)
  21. Bangladesh Environment: Facing the 21st Century (English, 2nd edition, HBK 352 pages, 2002)
  22. The Story of Tea Workers in Bangladesh (English, PBK 320 pages, 2009)
  23. The Last Forests of Bangladesh (English, 2nd edition, PBK 224 pages, 2002)
  24. Bangladesher Biponno Bon (Bangla, PBK 288 pages, 2005)
  25. Reporting Guide (Bangla, 2nd edition, PBK 411 pages, 2015)
  26. Prashikkhon Upakaran O Sohayika: Prantik Janagoshthi Niye  Karmaroto Karmi O Pratishthaner Sakkhamota O Dakkhata Bridhi (Training Manual and Guide: Scaling Up Capacity of Human Rights Defenders Attending the Marginalized and Excluded Communities, Bangla, PBK, 208 pages, 2019)
  27. Anushandhani Report: Paribesh O Manobadhikar (Investigative Reports: Environment and Human Rights) (Bangla, PBK 432 pages, 2008)
  28. Investigative Reports: Environment and Human Rights (English, PBK 388 pages, 2009)
  29. Bangla Bhasha, Shahityo O Shangskritik Andolon (Bangla Language, Literature and Cultural Movement) (Bangla, HBK 158 pages, 2006)
  30. Bangladesher Khudra Jatishattar Sangskriti (Culture of Small Ethnic Communities of Bangladesh) (Bangla, PBK 164 pages, 2007)
  31. Culture of Adivasis in Bangladesh (English, PBK 156 pages, 2008)
  32. Buna (Small ethnic community of Bangladesh)(Bangla, PBK 80 pages, 2008)
  33. Bon, Bon Binash o Bonobashir Jibon Sangram (Forest, Its Destruction and Struggle of The Forest People) (Bangla, PBK 263 pages, 2004)
  34. The Chittagong Hill Tracts: Life and Nature at Risk (English, HBK 121 pages, 2000)
  35. Bangladeshe Jounata Bikri: Jiboner Dame Kena Jibika (Sex Trade in Bangladesh: Livelihood at the Cost of Life) (Bangla, HBK 213 pages, 2000)
  36. Sex-workers in Bangladesh—Livelihood: At What Price? (English, PBK 276 pages, 2004)
  37. Parbotto Chattagrame Jumchash (Swidden Agriculture in the CHT) (Bangla, PBK 117 pages, 2003)
  38. Handbook on Election Reporting (English, 3rd edition, PBK 388 pages, 2006 with 90 pages, update in 2008)
  39. Tatthyapunji: Nirbachani Reporting (Bangla edition of Handbook on Election Reporting) (3rd edition, PBK 356 pages, 2008)
  40. Leather Industry: Environmental Pollution and Mitigation Measures (English, PBK 76 pages, 1998)
  41. Chamra Shilpa: Paribesh Dushan O Dushan Komanor Upaya (Bangla, PBK 68 pages, 1998)
  42. Bon of Boner Adhibashi (Forest and Forest People) (Bangla, PBK 76 pages, 1996)
  43. Shampad, Sampattir Adhikar Ebong Praner Rajniti O Arthaniti (Property, Property Rights and Politics and Economics of life) (Bangla, PBK 48 pages, 1997)
  44. The CCHRB Election Observation Report: The Eighth Parliamentary Elections 2001 (English, PBK 202 pages, 2002)
  45. A Guide to NGO-Business Partnerships (English, PBK 66 pages, 2002)
  46. NGO-Business Partnerships Guide (Bangla, PBK 66 pages, 2003)
  47. Report: Jatiyo Adivasi Goltable Boithak (Report on the National Adivasi Roundtable Conference) (Bangla, PBK 54 pages, 2001)
  48. Critique: The Forest (Amendment) Act, 2000 and the (draft) Social Forestry Rules, 2000 (English, PBK 80 pages, 2001)
  49. Critiques of Policies and Practices: The Case of the Forests, Ethnic Communities and Tea Workers of Bangladesh (English, PBK 118 pages, 2005)
  50. Water and Food Security in Bangladesh: Local Contexts, Strategies, and Actions (English, PBK 66 pages, 2010)

 

Survey reports, monographs and magazines

  1. Bede—Jajabar Jobojer Golpo (Bangla, PBK 64 pages, 2023)
  2. Kaiputra—Shukor Chorano Gosthi (Bangla, PBK 80 Pages, 2023)
  3. Bangladesher Jounapalli O Jounakarmi: Halnagad Chitro-2018 (Brothels and sex workers of Bangladesh: Update 2018) (Bangla, PBK 104 pages, 2019)
  4. Kaiputra: A Pig Rearing Community (English, PBK 80 pages, 2019)
  5. Harijans of Bangladesh (English, PBK 56 pages, 2019)
  6. Jaladas: A Seafaring Fishing Community (English, PBK 44 pages, 2019)
  7. Rishis of Khulna (English, PBK 64 pages, 2019)
  8. Bihari Community: Living in Camps (English, PBK 56 pages, 2019)
  9. Bede: A Nomadic Existence (English, PBK 64 pages, 2019)
  10. Khumi: Pranter Adivasi (Khumi: Adivasi of the Fringe, a socioeconomic survey of a small ethnic community of the Chittagong Hill Tracts) (Bangla, PBK 79 pages, 2017)
  11. Koch of Modhupur: A Demographic and Socioeconomic Survey of a Marginal Ethnic Community (English, PBK 58 pages, 2015)
  12. The Chaks: Life on the Fringe (English, PBK 96 pages, 2011)
  13. Chak: Pranter Jibon (Bangla, PBK 88 pages, 2011)
  14. Shrimp Fry Collection and Its Trade (A Survey on shrimp fry collectors in Cox’s Bazar, Bhola, Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira of Bangladesh) (English, 57 pages, 2005)
  15. The Khasis of Bangladesh (A socio-economic survey of the Khasi people) (English, 64 pages, 2007)
  16. Discrepancies in Census and Socio-economic Status of Ethnic Communities (English, 73 pages, 2000)
  17. Survey Report on Commercial Fuel Wood Plantation in Modhupur Forest (English, 74 pages)
  18. Investigative Report on Use of Pesticides in Bangladesh (English, 47 pages, 1993)
  19. Rohingya Refugee Issue (monograph) (English, 32 pages, 1992)
  20. Indigenous Peoples (monograph) (English, 74 pages 1993)
  21. Earth Touch (Magazine in English)—16 issues
  22. Dharitri (Bangla Magazine)—14 issues

 

Documentary Films

  1. Cha Sramiker Jibon O Sangskriti (Life and Culture of Tea Workers)— a 13-minute documentary film on cultural life of tea workers (Bangla and English, 2020)
  2. Sylvan Tears—a 39-minute documentary film on the destruction of Modhupur Sal Forest and suffering of the forest villagers, English, 2019; Aranyer Artonad (Bangla edition of Sylvan Tears, 2019)
  3. Pothey Pothey—a 32-minute documentary film on the life, struggle and transition of the Bede or gypsy (Bangla, 2019)
  4. Bagan Mayer Sushasthya, Bagan Mayer Suraksha—a 13-minute documentary film on the mothers of the tea gardens who work in indecent condition, which affects the pregnant mothers most (Bangla, 2019)
  5. Matir Maya (Elegy on Land) —30-minute documentary film on soil and blood in Northwestern districts of Bangladesh (Bangla and English, 2016)
  6. Upokuler Kanna (Shores of Tear) —26-minute documentary film on the effects of natural and man-made disaster in the coastal districts with attention to ill effects of shrimp aquaculture (Bangla and English, 2013)
  7. Cha Sramiker Katha (The Story of Tea Workers)—44-minute documentary film on the tea industry and tea workers in Bangladesh (Bangla and English, 2009)
  8. Phulbari—45-minute documentary film on the grassroots revolt in Phulbari against opencast mining (Bangla and English, 2007)
  9. Biponno Bon (Stolen Forest)—76-minute documentary film on the destruction of forest and effects of afforestation (Bangla and English, 2005)
  10. Chokoria Sundarban: Je Bone Gachh Nei (Chokoria Sundarban: A Forest without Trees)—34-minute documentary film on the destruction of the Chokoria mangrove in the coastal district Cox’s Bazar (Bangla and English, 1998)
  11. Mandi—28-minute documentary film on destruction of the Modhupur forest and forest people (English and Bangla, 1994)

 

Catalogues, posters, newsletter and brochures/keynote papers

  1. Brattyajan: The Lower Depths—Photography exhibition catalogue, Bangla, PBK, 112 pages, 2019
  2. Brattyajan: The Lower Depths—Photography exhibition catalogue, English, PBK, 36 pages, 2019
  3. The Story of Tea Workers—Photography exhibition catalogue, English and Bangla, 2009)
  4. Ambushed by Greed—Photography exhibition catalogue, English and Bangla, 2011
  5. On the Margins: Images of Tea Workers and Ethnic Communities—Photography exhibition catalogue, English 2016
  6. Cry of the Forest: The Forest and Her Children—Images of Pain, photography exhibition (catalogue, English, 2003)
  7. Forests and Forest Culture—photography exhibition (atalogue, English, March 2006)
  8. Stolen Forests—photography exhibition (catalogue English, 2007)
  9. Modhupur and Lawachhara: Stolen Forest Threatened Heritage—photography exhibition by Ronald Halder, Philip Gain and Sirajul Hossain (catalogue English, 2008)
  10. Phulbari—photography exhibition (catalogue, Bangla 2006)
  11. Brochures with keynote presentations at Sreemangal Convention 2018— (i) Social, Economic and Political Protection of the Marginal and Excluded, (ii) Debate on Dalits: A Perspective on Bangladesh and (iii) convention report (Bangla, 46 pages, 2019)
  12. Brochure with keynote presentations at Rangpur Convention—(i) Forest, Land Rights and Social Protection, (ii) Harijan: Housing, Education and Social Condition and convention report (Bangla, 22 pages, 2018)
  13. Six issues of newsletter (i) Prantajan: People on the Fringe (English and Bangla, 16 to 20 pages each); two issues of Jibon (Life), (Bangla and English, 12 pages each); and One issue of Amader Katha (Bangla, 8 pages)
  14. Twenty four-color posters on forest, ethnic people, destruction of the Chokoria Sundarban, Phulbari Coal Mine, pollution in the tannery industry, and tea workers
  15. Capacity building activities: With a large number of resource materials SEHD routinely organizes capacity building training of community leaders, journalists, human rights defenders, development actors and youth. In training journalists it has in hands Reporting Guide, Handbook on Election Reporting, many other source books and documentary films that are also used by universities, news rooms, research organizations, government agencies, and public in general. It uses its own “investigative and interpretative reports in order to explain how to do an investigation and write a report objectively,” wrote the independent evaluators in 2012. “Apart from providing background information and training to journalists, it plays a role in agenda-setting.”

As of 2023 SEHD has trained around 1250 journalists and 6,500 community leaders, trade union leaders in the tea industry, human rights defenders, and development actors. Other capacity building activities of SEHD include seminars, dialogues, book launch, photography exhibitions, documentary film screening, etc. that SEHD organizes routinely.

  1. Promotion of pluralism and cultural diversity: The indigenous or ethnic communities, who are not Bengalis and other groups demonstrate unique cultures, traditions, knowledge, history and education. Many of these communities have lost their identities and languages, which has severe consequences for their social, political, economic and cultural life. SEHD, for many years, has organized cultural exchange programmes and festivals for the indigenous communities across Bangladesh, providing them with the opportunity to interact with other communities. SEHD has also published books, hosted seminars and a large number of workshops to highlight cultural riches and rights of the indigenous peoples and other communities. SEHD is routinely bringing together people of different ethnic identities and cultural backgrounds who learn from each other values that promote toleration and pluralism.
  2. Advocacy for change: SEHD engages in lobby and advocacy which is research based. It has solid knowledge resources in hand that it has generated from its research and investigation. SEHD’s lobby and advocacy takes place at different levels and centre around its targets. Its knowledge assets—books, reports, documentary films and photographs—are strategic tools. Sometimes its lobby takes place silently, but the effects are clear as has been seen in case of complete stop of funding for plantation projects in the forestry sector in Bangladesh by Asian Development Bank (ADB); government abandoning the plan for Phulbari open-pit mining; the tea plantation workers in “tied” or “captive” situation becoming better equipped and the rise in their wages; World Bank’s funding policy change with regard to promotion of shrimp aquaculture; influence of SEHD on academe; SEHD soliciting support from Marie Claire for promotion of organic farming; and public response to SEHD’s productions and materials. Important occasions for SEHD’s lobby at the local and national levels are seminars, workshops, photography exhibitions, book launch, film screening, and sharing of knowledge resources.
  3. Education and awareness raising: What is unique of SEHD’s education and awareness raising efforts is that most of its books are text materials in university faculties such as anthropology, sociology, journalism, communication, forestry, environmental sciences and training institutes. Besides, they are of great interest to journalists, media, civil society, human rights defenders, community leaders, different state agencies and individuals. SEHD keeps informing these targets with information and knowledge and introducing innovative ideas for its various targets.
  4. Life skills training: SEHD, under a number of initiatives, has developed special life skills materials for training of women tea workers, girls, trade union leaders and community members on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), entitlements, legal empowerment and culture. With these tools in hand, it has provided and continues to provide special life skills training to hundreds raising awareness about their condition, rights guaranteed by labour legislations and other legal instruments including the constitution. In life skills training, SEHD’s role is one of catalyst. Other organizations and SEHD itself can replicate these life skills training modules and manuals for other communities. The key objective of SEHD’s life skills training is to equip community members in raising their voices.
  5. Documentation Services: SEHD runs a documentation facility at its office with special emphasis on the environment in general and various specific issues, climate change, human rights, indigenous peoples, tea workers, different other marginalized and excluded groups, elections and democracy, and the media. Anyone is welcome to step in the office during office hours and use the facility. One visiting the documentation facility can also consult SEHD research staff who provide practical tips and guidance for research, reporting, documentation and filming in the organization’s areas of interest and work. One can also purchase its publications from its office and select commercial sellers such as University Press Limited (UPL). Additionally, users of SEHD resources can get access to its select publications, investigative reports and documentary films from two websites: www.brattyajan.org and www.sehd.org.
  6. Volunteers and Interns: SEHD welcomes both international and local volunteers and interns to its office in Dhaka and to field locations where it works. Young students and professional from different fields and countries have volunteered and interned with SEHD in the past, helping in a number of areas such as research, writing, translation, editing, information technology and capacity building.
  7. Close attention to the marginalized and excluded communities: After decades of attention to the indigenous communities, tea workers and their communities and other occupational groups such as Rishi (cobbler), Bede (gypsy), Harijan, sex workers, transgender (Hijra), Kaiputra or Kawra (a pig-rearing community), Jaladas (a seafaring fishing community living in the coasts of Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram), and Biharis who constitute around six million people, SEHD launched a new project, “Promoting human rights of marginalized groups in Bangladesh throughBrattyajan Resource Centre” on 1 December 2021. Funded by MISEREOR and Caritas France, this project brings together its partner Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and more than 200 other CBOs and CSOs to build collective voice through research and capacity building. Actions supported by the European Union, MISEREOR and ICCO Cooperation through two decades bred the idea of the project and Brattyajan Resource Centre (BRC).

Brattyajan is a Bengali word (Brattaya meaning devotee + jan meaning people) that well defines the excluded and marginalized groups and communities of Bangladesh. From ancient times (Vedic age), the word means people who are devout, honest, simple and peace-loving. When we get close to the indigenous communities and all other marginalized and excluded groups we see they are simple, honest, religious, devout, craftsmen and peace-loving. However, they have fallen behind and they are generally poorer than others, facing human rights abuses and do not get respect they deserve, largely because of their simplicity, honesty, humbleness, minority status, ethnic identities,  casteism, occupations considered to be low and lower level of education than the majority community.

There are hundreds of government and non-government organizations that provide services to the marginalized and excluded communities. Yet, many of these groups remain largely invisible because of dearth of information. SEHD has pioneered in mapping and defining these groups in partnership with PPRC and other bodies. The ultimate goal of BRC is to contribute concretely to the protection of the marginalized and excluded communities and work unitedly with all stakeholders to assist them become equal and dignified citizens of the country.

  1. How is SEHD funded?

SEHD has, for three decades, received support from various donors for its research, investigation, knowledge resource building, awareness raising, advocacy, educational work and community empowerment. MISEREOR (Germany), CORDAID (Netherlands), ICCO Cooperation (The Netherlands), Australian Government, Inter Pares (Canada), The Asia Foundation, The European Union, UNFPA, UNDP, Caritas France, and Canadian High Commission  have funded its various projects.

  1. How does the organization run?

SEHD has a 21-member General Body (GB) that must meets once a year to approve the activities, management of finance and to elect the Executive Committee. The 7-member Executive Committee (Chairman, General Secretary, Treasure and four members) is elected for three years. The EC meets at least three times a year to take decisions regarding management, to guide the staff and to approve activities and financial transactions. The GB and EC members include professors from different disciplines from both public and private universities, civil society leaders and prominent members of the targets who also take part in research and other activities.