Call to formulate policy to remove discrimination against minorities

Justice Golam Rabbani speaks at a press conference at the National Press Club in the city yesterday. On his left is Prof Mezbah Kamal and on his right are Promad Mankin and Rabeya Sultana.Photo: STAR

Speakers at a press conference yesterday called upon the government to formulate policy removing discrimination against the minorities.
They also urged the government high-ups to ensure basic and constitutional rights of different ethnic and minority groups.
The press conference was organised by the National Committee for Cultural Diversity Conference and Second Adivasi Drama Festival at the National Press Club in the city.
The four-day-long programme kicks off at Shilpakala Academy auditorium on
November 12.
Speakers at the press conference said with a view to upholding the culture of different minority communities to policymakers and people, ActionAid with the help of Research and Development Collective (RDC) will organise the festival.
The aim of the festival includes raising awareness about basic rights and constitutional recognition of indigenous people and preservation of culture and tradition of ethnic people.
Prof Mezbah Kamal of Dhaka University, who is also the member-secretary of the Committee, said, “We hope this festival would play an important role to create awareness among the policymakers and general people about various difficulties that Dalit and adivasi communities are facing.”
Justice Golam Rabbani, who presided over the conference, urged all to work together to build integrated cultural identity saying it is not simply a festival, it is a movement to know ourselves.
Sanjib Drang, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, said the government should come forward to give due recognition to indigenous culture saying that cultural and language diversity is not a threat, it is our strength and it will introduce Bangladesh to the world as a culturally developed country.
Chairman of Tribal Welfare Association Promad Mankin, Prof Dalem Chandra Barman, and Rabeya Sultana of ActionAid also spoke at the press conference.