Youth can help ensure rights of minority communities

The youth of Bangladesh can play a vital role in ensuring the rights of the communities who are lagging behind in the country, said discussants yesterday.

Indigenous people and women are the vulnerable groups whose rights need to be ensured for the development of the country, they added.

The Department of Television, Film and Photography of Dhaka University (DU) and UNDP jointly organised the programme titled, “Uphold the Rights of Women and Ethnic Minorities in Bangladesh”, at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on the  campus with an aim to make the youth vocal in the issue.

At the discussion, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said men generally belittle women and term them weak which is not right as they have already proven themselves in different professions. 

“Women are now police, soldier, pilot, engineer and what not?” he stressed.

Putting emphasis on cultural activities, Inu further said creating non-communal society is a challenge but the youth can bring a change by treating every citizen equally.

Dr Abu Jafar Md Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, chairperson of the department, said the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord signed on December 2 in 1997 is yet to be fully implemented. If it stays this way, the indigenous people will be frustrated, he added.

Urging the government to implement the accord fully, the teacher also called upon the youth not to demean the minority communities.

Sharmeela Rassoul, chief technical advisor to Human Rights Programme of UNDP (Bangladesh), explained that all religions support human rights of others and tell to respect all people.

Satej Chakma, a History student of DU, said each community has their own identity in the country. To ensure their human rights, all their cultures need to be respected and their identities require to be recognised the way they want it, he added.

Shankor Paul, communities and minorities expert of UNDP (Bangladesh), was also present.