Bangladesh Dalit & Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM) is a National Platform, which launched campaign in 2008 against caste based discrimination through mobilizing Dalit community and rights activists. BDERM dreams of an equal society free from caste based discrimination. The platform is working both at national and international level since its inception. Presently BDERM has 50 districts committee and 7 divisional level coordinators. It’s a membership base movement. Currently 11 Dalit-led NGOs are member of this platform. BDERM has approximately 2000 individual members.
GOAL
Building an equal society by eliminating all forms of discrimination against Dalit and Excluded Community on the basis of equality, dignity, prosperity and security.
OBJECTIVES
- To build awareness among Dalit and Excluded community people on socio-economic, cultural, education and political rights.
- To build public awareness against discrimination based on work and descent.
- To make the policy makers sensitive and responsible both government and non-government level to the rights of Dalit and Excluded community people and take initiative.
- To ensure access of Dalit and Excluded to development process and basic service provision.
- To establish network harmony and communication in regional and international level.
- To strengthening capacity of Dalit run organizations and play a catalytic role for internal communication among dalit groups.
Dalit Issue in Political parties manifesto: Eight major political parties in Bangladesh included Dalit issue in their election manifestos in last general election in response to BDERM demand.
Dalit Issue in PRSP: Bangladesh government has committed to ensure housing for all disadvantaged people in Poverty Reduction Strategic Papers (PRSP) as policy agenda (FY-2009-11).
First-ever Dalit HR conference: First Dalit Human Rights Conference held on January, 2009. The conference able to sensitize the different stakeholders on the issue.
International Membership: Member of International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) and Asian Dalit Rights Forum (ADRF).
Report Submission in the UN HR council: BDERM had submitted the Human Rights Report of Dalit at the UN Human Rights Council under the UPR in 2008 with the assistance of Nagorik Uddyog and IDSN. Moreover BDERM become a member of UPR Human Rights Forum- Bangladesh in October 2008.
BDERM in UPR session: BDERM actively participated in the UPR session at UN HRC on April, 2009 and represent in Bangladesh civil society delegations in Geneva.
BDERM in DRC: Representative of BDERM participated in the Durban Review Conference (DRC) held on April, 2009 at Geneva.
Dalit Issue in National Budget: Finance Minister mentioned the allocation for development of extremely marginalized people in his budget speech in current fiscal year. BDERM has organized a seminar and submitted a memorandum with demand for specific allocation demand on behalf of Dalit Community to the finance ministry.
Dr. Hameeda Hossain, honourable advisor of Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM) is a prominent Bangladeshi human rights activist and academic. She graduated from the Wellesley College, USA and got her PhD from Oxford University, England. In 1969 in the then East Pakistan, along with economist Rehman Sobhan she founded English-language monthly current affairs magazine, the Forum. She has published many books and articles relating to human rights and women’s issues in Bangladesh, in Islam, and worldwide. She is a founding member of Ain o Salish Kendra, a legal aid and human rights organization.
Dr. Farzana Islam, honourable advisor Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM) is a prominent anthropologist and the first female vice-chancellor of a public university in Bangladesh. She completed her masters in Sociology from the University of Dhaka in 1980 and joined Chittagong University as a lecturer in 1982. She joined department of Anthropology of Jahangirnagar University in 1986. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Sussex in 2001. In March 2014, President of Bangladesh, Abdul Hamid, appointed Dr. Farzana Islam as the Vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University. She is also the current chair of the board of directors of Nagorik Uddyog.
Md. Israfil Alam, MP, honourable member of the national parliament, is the most active person among the MPs in Bangladesh and gives priority to the issue of the Dalit in the parliament as well as other spheres. He belongs to Naogaon-6 constituency. He has strong contribution to the allotment for the housing of the Dalit in the National budget. He also contributed to ensure quota for the Dalit students in the public universities. He placed the issue of ensuring employment quota in the government job in the national parliament. He is also the member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Labour and Employment. He is the co-convener of Asia Parliamentarian’s Forum on Dalit Concerns (APFDC) and the advisor of Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM).
Zakir Hossain, honourable advisor of Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM) is the founding member and Chief Executive of Nagorik Uddyog. He completed his post graduation in Economics from University of Dhaka. He is actively involved with national and international campaigns on safe environment, right of Dalit and excluded groups, right to information, right to food, labour rights, right to budget, right to health, etc. He has a great contribution in mobilizing Dalits and excluded communities in Bangladesh. He always encourages them to fight for their rights. Besides he has provided them support to enhance their capacity to come out as leaders at national and international levels.
# | Name | Designation |
1 | Ms. Moni Rani Das | President |
2 | Mr. Bibhutosh Roy | Vice-President |
3 | Ms. Anima Rani | Vice-President |
4 | Mr. Uttam Kumar Bhakta | General Secretary |
5 | Ms. Banani Biswas | Joint General |
6 | Mr. Rajendra Kumar Das | Joint General Secretary |
7 | Mr. Manindra Nath | Cashier |
8 | Mr. Bheempalli David Raju | Organizing Secretary |
9 | Mr. Kailash Robidas | Join-Organizing |
10 | Mr. Subroto Kumar Mistry | Publicity and Publication Secretary |
11 | Advocate Narayan | Information and |
12 | Advocate Babul Robidas | Secretary of Legal Affairs |
13 | Ms. Joyonti Rani | Secretary of Women |
14 | Mr. DilipBashfor | Secretary of Cultural Affairs |
15 | Bramhanath Thakur | Secretary of |
16 | Ms. Tamanna Singh Baraik | Secretary of International Affairs |
17 | Mr. Shopon Kumar | Secretary of |
18 | Mr. Sodip Kumar Roy | Secretary of Students & Youth |
19 | Mr. Sunil Kumar | Executive Member |
20 | Ms. Shova Rani Baroi | Executive Membery |
21 | Mr. Krishna Lala | Executive Member |
BDERM WORKING AREAS
56 districts of Bangladesh.
