RAJSHAHI, July 20, 2018 (BSS)- Academics and researchers at a discussion
unequivocally called for ensuring social justice and development of living
and livelihood conditions of ethnical minority communities in the country’s
northwest region.
They made this observation while addressing an international seminar
titled “Self-introduction of Ethnic Minorities” hosted by Institute
Bangladesh Studies (IBS) in Rajshahi University (RU) at its conference hall
today.
RU Vice-chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan and Professor Hassan Azizul Haque
addressed the opening session as chief and special guests respectively with
IBS Director Prof Swarashish Sarker in the chair. Nitish Biswash, a famous
organizer of Indian underprivileged classes, made the welcome speech.
Presenting his keynote paper Prof Mejbah Kamal from Dhaka University
mentioned the ethnic people were always deprived of land rights, food,
healthcare, education and cultural facilities, so it is important that the
government should ensure their fundamental rights besides full-filling other
requisite demands.
He called for freeing the ethnic communities from the vicious cycle of
poverty to make them fit for all the nation-building activities.
Stressing the need for protecting their rights he said importance should
be given on protecting the underprivileged people from all sort of
deceptions. Empowerment of the disadvantaged communities has become an urgent
need.
Prof Sobhan underscored the need for establishing social justice towards
the plain land ethnic communities through removing all sorts of disparity.
More than 100 teachers, researchers, students and others concerned from
home and abroad joined the seminar.
Around 21 research papers on the issue were presented there.