Leaders of Dalit community have demand that the government give them constitutional recognition and put an end to all forms of discrimination against them.
They came up with the demand at a discussion, titled ‘Discrimination by Birth and Profession: socio-economic influence and way of development’, organised by Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM) and Nagarik Udyog at Celebration Point auditorium in the city on Wednesday.
Local government representatives, right activists, educationists and leaders of different indigenous communities joined the discussion.
The BDERM president Mukul Shikdar, cultural activist Akkas Hossain, freedom fighter Enayet Hossain Chowdhury, district president of Bangladesh Hindu Buddha Christian Oikya Parishad Mrinal Kanti Saha, among others, spoke at the programme held with BDERM district president Lalit Das in the chair.
BDERM Central Organising Secretary Uttam Kumar Vakto moderated the programme.
Describing various problems the excluded communities now facing, the speakers called for an end to the eviction of Dalit from their ancestral homes.
They recommended providing equal opportunities to Dalit and excluded community members in all government activities.