Speakers, including right activists and Urdu-speaking people, on Sunday demanded permanent rehabilitation of Urdu-speaking people in Bangladesh.
They said that the country鈥檚 Urdu-speaking people, also known as Bihari, were deprived of their basic rights and the matter of the deprivation was basically a political issue that must have logical conclusion.
They made the remarks at an assembly and dialogue, organised by Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit, at the RC Majumdar Arts Auditorium in Dhaka University.
Urdu-speakers鈥� leader Sadakat Khan Fakku from Mirpur camp said that previous governments only assured them about rehabilitation but did not take steps to rehabilitate them till date.
After a long fight, Urdu-speaking people received the acknowledgment as citizens of Bangladesh and the voting rights, but immensely deprived of other rights as they were unable to access many of the opportunities associated with citizenship, said Fakku.
Another Urdu-speaking leader Ashraful Huq Babu from Saidpur camp said that they were living an inhumane life in the camps.
鈥榃e live in an 8/8 feet room in the camps,鈥� said Babu adding that they do not have proper access to employment, education, healthcare and many others.
He also mentioned that there was a constant threat of eviction from the camps.
Urdu-speaking young man Md Yasin demanded the constitutional guarantee to preserve the rights of different language speaking communities in the country.
He also demanded that the authorities concerned introduce special arrangement in the educational institutions so that the deprived Urdu-speaking youths can get access to education.
RMMRU executive director CR Abrar said, 鈥楨nough is enough. Urdu-speaking people are still deprived of their rights despite Bangladesh Supreme Court recognised them as citizens in 2008.鈥�
He mentioned that the permanent rehabilitation of them was not done in past 16 years despite the recognition as citizen.
Mentioning the diversity of language and culture as assets of the country, political analyst Zahed Ur Rahman said that the potentials of the Urdu-speaking youths must be realised to establish a discrimination free society.
Women rights activist Shireen Huq said that Urdu-speaking women were also the victims of discrimination.
Anthropologist and researcher Abantee Harun mentioned that that deprivation of the Urdu-speaking people was basically a political issue that must see a logical decision.
Urdu-speaking people from the camps in Saidpur, Rangpur, Bogura, Ishwardi, Rajbari, Chattogram and Dhaka were present at the daylong assembly and dialogue.
