The recent student-led movement has opened new avenues for state reform and reconstruction, as emphasized in a dialogue organized by ActionAid Bangladesh in Gulshan, Dhaka, on Tuesday.
The theme of the dialogue, "Anti-Discrimination for Inclusion," focused on building an inclusive and equitable society, which has emerged as a new challenge for the newly formed interim government.
The dialogue was attended by over 20 representatives from various sectors, including indigenous communities, persons with disabilities, sex workers' rights activists, youth and women’s rights activists, anti-discrimination movement coordinators, climate activists, media personalities, and members of the Dalit-Harijan communities.
The event commenced with a minute of silence to honour those who lost their lives during the student-led uprising.
Puchainu Marma, a representative of the indigenous community, highlighted the inadequacies in quality education and healthcare in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
“Although a lot of money has been spent on infrastructure, services are still inadequate. Moreover, unless the land issues in the CHT regions are resolved, the problems we face will not be solved,” he said.
Nilofa, general secretary of the Sex Workers’ Network, voiced concerns over the violence faced by sex workers.
“We demand justice for sex workers. We are facing mental and physical violence, and we want safety and the rule of law. We want the perpetrators to be brought to justice,” she said.
Anowara Begum, a representative of women farmers, stressed the need for a discrimination-free environment.
“Women farmers do not have their own land and still face wage discrimination. They have limited access to local markets for their businesses, and sanitation facilities are inadequate. We want all women farmers to have a ‘farmer’s card’ as an identity to access services and benefits,” she said.
Media personality Azmeri Haque Badhon called for reforms in guardianship and inheritance laws.
“I want reforms to ensure there is no discrimination and that the laws meet current needs. Parents should teach their children how to assert their rights and the rights of others,” she said.
Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh and moderator of the dialogue, underscored the importance of discussing issues of discrimination during the interim government’s period of challenges.
“This is the time for planning. If we don’t address discrimination now, there is a concern that some people may be left behind in this reform journey,” she said.
The dialogue was inaugurated by Kazi Morshed Alam, Head of Program and Engagement at ActionAid Bangladesh. Other speakers included women's rights activist Dalia Islam, transgender community representative Ivan Ahmed Kotha, Dalit-Harijan community representative Khillon Robi Dash, child rights representative Bithi Akter, women's rights activist Zinia Afrin Smriti, garment worker Bilkis, climate activist Sohanur Rahman, and Morium Nesa, Manager of Women’s Rights and Gender Equity at ActionAid Bangladesh.
The event concluded with guests visiting a special cartoon and art exhibition themed around the student-led uprising, further highlighting the call for inclusive and equitable state reform.
