Democratic transition depends on ensuring equal respect for marginalized communities: Hossain Zillur Rahman

Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, eminent economist and chairman of PPRC, said a country's transition to democracy depends on ensuring the presence and equal respect for the voice of every marginalized community.

Access to information is a powerful tool that can effectively empower and inform these communities, facilitating their active and meaningful participation in the democratic process, he noted.

"Ensuring the presence of the voice of every marginalized community and their equal respect is part of a country's transition to a democratic process. A powerful tool like information can become one of the means to empower and inform marginalized communities," Rahman said.

He came up with the remarks at the unveiling ceremony of SEHD’s latest publication, Report and Analysis: Marginalized and Excluded Communities of Bangladesh, and the premiere screening of the documentary Jatpater Boli (Because of Caste) on the Kaiputra (pig rearing community) and the Rishis held at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital on Wednesday.

The Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD), together with Brattyajan Resource Centre (BRC) and Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), organised the event.

Speaking about SEHD’s continuous work for more than three decades, Dr. Rahman, who chaired the event, added SEHD has been working since its inception with these three-dimensional objectives in mind - recognition, inclusion and respect for marginalized communities.

Philip Gain, director of SEHD, presented a keynote paper at the function.

Distinguished guests and speakers attending the event included: Prashanta Tripura, country director of The Hunger Project and former professor at Jahangirnagar University, Dr. Zakir Hossain Raju, Professor, Independent University, Bangladesh, and Mohammad Abdul Wazed, former director general of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

sajibur@gmail.com