RAJSHAHI, Dec 2, 2023 (BSS)-Close collaborations between the government and non-government organizations (GO-NGO) can be the effective means of successful implementation of grassroots level development activities.

Simultaneously, the role of NGOs is very important towards the successful implementation of the government's uplift programmes in terms of taking the nation forward.

Development activists and social workers came up with the observation while addressing a discussion of Bangladesh NGO Foundation Day here today. Rajshahi district unit of Bangladesh NGO Foundation (BNF) organized the discussion at a city restaurant here.

More than 50 people from BNF members including Ladies Organization for Social Welfare (LOFS), Brac, Shapla Gram Unnayan Sangstha, Nikunja Basti Unnayan Sangstha and Peoples Development Organization (PDO) joined the programme.

On the occasion, education stipends were distributed among some of their project beneficiaries.

With LOFS Executive Director Shahnaz Parveen in the chair, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Chief Community Development Officer of Rajshahi City Corporation Azizur Rahman, Brac District Coordinator Mohsin Ali and PDO Executive Director Enamul Haque.

The discussants unanimously mentioned that the present government under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been implementing various time-fitting programmes for improving living and livelihood conditions of the grassroots population particularly for the low-income and marginalized ones.

They viewed there are many curses including violence against women, child marriage, child labour, dowry, gender disparity and drug-addiction in the society and opined that a concerted effort of all GO-NGOs become indispensable to free the society from the curses.

The meeting was told that eradication of child marriage, violence against women, equal rights to education, training, science and technology are imperative for the country.

The practice of child marriage in the country is very alarming, especially for girls, as they are treated as a burden of the society, mostly in slums and rural areas.
They termed child marriage as a gross violation of human rights and said it is vital to raise massive awareness about the negative impacts of early marriage with the help of the mass media.

In his remarks, Azizur Rahman said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already declared that the rural areas will be transformed into urban like areas through reaching the modern facilities there. At present, the country is on the road towards the development.

He added that Bangladesh will be elevated to a new height when it achieves the SDGs-2030 and Rupkalpa-2041. He urged the NGOs to supplement government efforts collectively.