Former caretaker government adviser Sultana Kamal on Tuesday said it is the duty of NGO activists as ‘bonafide citizens’ of the state to stand against the quarters opposing the equal rights to women and minorities.
“We must stand against any quarter that obstructs the rights of women. We must stand against those who oppress the weaker communities – be it Hindu, or Ahmadia, or indigenous populations. Or else, we can’t claim ourselves as bonafide citizens,” she told a meeting of NGO activists.
Sultana Kamal noted that the fundamentals of the Liberation War — democracy, equal opportunity, equal rights to all creeds, castes, genders and ethnic groups — should be made the point of reference for the country’s NGO activists.
She was addressing a meeting on the role of non government organisations (NGOs) in socioeconomic development of the country, organised by the NGO Affairs Bureau at Biam auditorium.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister’s Adviser on International Affairs, Gowher Rizvi, on Tuesday said the NGOs must consider themselves as equal partners of the government in development activities.
He, however, cautioned that the NGO activists must take opposite stand against governments that do not conform to the spirit of secularism, pluralism and equality to women.
The meeting was held with NGO Affairs Bureau director general Nurun Nabi Talukdar in the chair.
Source: UNB Connect
