Prioritise the marginalised
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Planning Minister MA Mannan yesterday said the government is committed to taking the country towards justice, righteousness and rule of law.
"We don't deny that there is injustice here," the minister said, adding they also accept the fact that such injustice cannot be eliminated overnight.
He was addressing the "Dalit-Harijan Conference-2022" at the National Economic Council auditorium in the capital, organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation and its partner organisations.
On the proposed anti-discrimination law, the minister said he will inquire about its latest progress.
Addressing the event as chief guest, the planning minister said their pledge is to prioritise the marginalised.
He said the government wants to reach people living in remote and hard-to-reach areas where discrimination and injustice are still prevalent.
At the event, members of Dalit and Harijan communities spoke about different challenges they have to face in all spheres of life, including the discrimination that they face regularly and sought government steps to address their problems.
Making a five-point demand while reading out a written statement, Dalit community leader Bikash Kumar Das said the proposed anti-discrimination law should reflect suggestions made by members of Dalit and Harijan communities.
He demanded affirmative action and special quotas for Dalit and Harijan communities in government jobs and educational institutions as well as better living facilities for them.
The government has selected 1,000 villages under a project where craftsmen belonging to different underprivileged communities live to bring them under the cottage industry scheme, said Shawpan Bhattacharjee, state minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives.
Work has already started in 60 to 70 such villages, he said, addressing the event as special guest.
MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam said they have made several suggestions for the government's consideration in regard to bringing a change to the anti-discrimination bill before it is passed in the parliament.
"At present, the parliamentary standing committee [on law ministry] is working on the bill. We are hopeful the law will fulfil the expectations of the marginalised communities," she said.
However, enacting a law is not the ultimate course of action. There is also the necessity for its effective implementation, she said while moderating the event.
The proposed law cites a monitoring mechanism that has to be representational, she added.
Prof Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University's history department said due to the "nature" of discrimination in Bangladesh, its elimination here will not be possible without rigorous enforcement of the law.
Besides, building awareness is essential to end discrimination, he added.
Zakir Hossain, chief executive of Nagorik Udyog, and Tahera Jabeen, social development adviser at Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) Bangladesh, spoke at the event among others.
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