The Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM), in association with Nagorik Uddyog, held a rally in Dhaka today (28 September) demanding an end to all existing discrimination against Dalits and backward communities.
BDERM President Uttam Kumar Bhakta presided over the rally organised in front of the National Museum in Shahbagh this morning.
Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal Assistant General Secretary Khalekuzzaman Lipon, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Central Committee Member Luna Noor, Dhaka University Professor Zobaida Nasreen Kona, Nagorik Uddyog Chief Executive Zakir Hossain, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti leader Dipayan Khisa and Dalit Women’s Forum general secretary Moni Rani Das spoke at the rally among others.
The speakers said about 75 lakh Dalit people in Bangladesh are constantly subjected to various types of discrimination in their daily lives and workplaces.
Although the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh mentions the equal rights of all citizens regardless of race, religion, caste, and gender, discrimination still exists against various small ethnic groups in the country, they said.
The rally demanded that the ‘Anti-Discrimination Bill-2022’ be amended and passed immediately to ensure the rights of Dalits and backward communities.
