SDG not achievable excluding marginalised people: discussion

Speakers, including rights activists, academics, economists, diplomats and ethnic minority group leaders on Saturday said that the Sustainable Development Goals could not be achieved by leaving a person behind as the country was looking forward to achieving UN-sponsored goals by 2030.

They made the observation at a discussion held at the CIRDAP auditorium marking the launch of Brattyajan Resource Centre, a non-government organisation that promised to work for marginalised people.

Non-government organisations the Society for Environment and Human Development, and the Power and Participation Research Centre jointly organised the event.

Chairing the event, former caretaker government adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman said that the SDG could not be achieved leaving even a person behind in the development process.

‘The marginalised people have the capacity and all they need is support from the government and the society,’ he said.

Renowned economist Wahiduddin Mahmud said that poverty eradication moves could not be successful without giving attention to the marginalised communities.

‘All stakeholders of the country should be included in the country’s development process. Official sources of information are important to maintain the correct census of the marginalised groups,’ he said attending the event as chief guest.

Speaking as the special guest, Jeremy Opritesco, deputy head of mission, the delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, hailed Bangladesh for making commendable progress in human development.

‘EU always fights against discrimination,’ he said, adding that it would continue its support to Bangladesh authorities and non-government organisations to establish the rights of marginalised people.

SHED director Philip Gain presented the keynote paper at the programme.

‘We have several confusions over the number of different ethnic minorities, tea garden workers, sex workers, Harijans and others issues. The government formed a list of the ethnic minority groups on March 19, 2019, where 50 ethnic minority groups made the list,’ he said.

He said that they would work to find the actual number of ethnic minority groups and marginalised people in the society along with advocacy works to improve their lives.

‘A cleaner of Harijan community in Sreemangal municipality receives Tk 550 monthly payment and they are not allowed to take food at restaurants,’ he said.

He added that a tea garden worker also received Tk 120 per day.

Stressing the need for a census of marginalised and ethnic communities, former information commissioner Golam Rahman said, ‘We need to understand the real potential of information. We want to forget the discrimination.’

Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Lilly Nicholls said that she came to know about the plights of marginalised people in society in terms of their ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation through the session.

‘I had no idea about the struggle that you faced,’ she added. 

Chattogram Hill Tracts human rights activist Zuam Lian Amlai, Joyenshahi, Adibashi Unnyan Parishad president Eugrin Norkek, Sex Workers Network president Alyea Akhter Lily, Sachetan Samajseba Hijra Sangha president Ivan Ahmed Katha among others spoke at the programme.

They described how marginalised people were facing discrimination in society in acquiring land, education and for their basic rights. The programme also featured the launching of books based on different ethnic and marginalised groups in society.

The books are titled State of the Excluded and Marginalised Communities: Reports, analyses and insights on exclusion challenges in Bangladesh, Bede: A Nomadic Existence, Rishis of Khulna, Sex Workers and Brothels in Bangladesh, Kaiputra: A Pig Rearing Community, Harijans of Bangladesh, Jaladas: A Seafaring Fishing Community, Bihari Community: Living in Camps, Taking Material and Module, Taking Side with Smaller Ethnic Communities and the Marginalised: Clarity of Thoughts and Code of Conduct.

Dhaka University international relations department professor Tanzimuddin Ahmed gave the welcome speech while Nijera Kori coordinator Khushi Kabir also spoke.

The programme was followed by a cultural event.