'Gono Gobeshak' Conference in Rajshahi
<i>Thus they learn to stand against social evils</i>
Rozina Marandi of Uchadanga village in Rajshahi, then a student of class eight, was lucky enough to meet a group of youths known as 'gono gobeshak' (grassroots researchers).
They persuaded her poverty-stricken parents to refrain from marrying off the tender-aged girl and funded her education from a cooperative fund raised by themselves.
"I am now doing my higher secondary education. Being involved with the group, I helped to stop four other early marriages in the village in last one year," Rozina said in the day-long conference of the public researchers held at Rajshahi Medical College auditorium yesterday.
Mohammad Liton and Arifa Khatun came up with the story of resisting a drug-peddlers group in Dangapara village.
Like Rozina, Liton and Arifa, over a thousand 'researchers' from 36 villages of Rajshahi and Naogaon districts gathered at the conference to share their success stories in ensuring human rights.
These people, mostly from poor families belonging to minority groups and indigenous people, study and analyse situations of human rights, consult elders and find way to resolve the local problems together.
They stand against early marriage, dowry and repression on women, and engage joint efforts for literacy, sanitation and other development activities at their villages.
Thirty-four children who were saved from child marriages, 136 couples who married without dowry and 340 dropped out children who were taken back to school by the grassroots researchers received prizes at the conference.
Human rights organisation Broti and its Setu Bandhan project are guiding the public researchers for last six years. Manusher Jonno Foundation, a leading NGO, is assisting the project.
In six years, the public researchers run 50 non-formal education centres and 90 cooperative societies aiming at self-reliance and economic empowerment of the villagers.
Thanks to the researchers' united movement, no child marriages took place in ten villages, 100 percent sanitation attained in three villages and literacy improved in 18 villages in last one year.
Dr Mizanur Rahman, chairman of Human Rights Commission, who attended the conference as the chief guest, hailed the activities of the grassroots researchers.
He urged people to resist the corrupt people, especially the corrupt politicians, to save the nation from disrepute.
Eminent littérateur Hasan Azizul Haque called upon the indigenous people to continue their movement for realising their demand of constitutional recognition.
Jatiya Adivasi Parishad President Anil Marandi spoke as special guest while Sharmin Murshid, chief executive and team leader of Broti's Setu Bandhan project, chaired the conference.
A cultural function was arranged at the end of the conference.
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