NCP leader gives memo to Adviser Adilur on behalf of Urdu-speaking community demanding rehabilitation, education
According to those who submitted the memorandum, despite having legal recognition as citizens, the community's opportunities for education, housing, and employment remain limited due to their camp-based internment
A delegation from the National Citizen Party (NCP), led by Joint Member Secretary Akram Hossain, today (3 December) presented a memorandum to Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, demanding the immediate rehabilitation, guarantee of civic rights, and resolution of the education crisis being faced by the Urdu-speaking community.
The memorandum highlights the dire condition of nearly three lakh Urdu-speakers who have been living in 116 refugee camps across the country for over five decades since the 1971 Liberation War. They endure subhuman conditions characterised by overcrowding, unhygienic environments, dilapidated infrastructure, and a severe lack of basic civic amenities.
According to those who submitted the memorandum, despite having legal recognition as citizens, the community's opportunities for education, housing, and employment remain limited due to their camp-based internment.
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A major focus of the demand is the critical lack of educational facilities, particularly in the Geneva Camp. The camp's sole institution, Dream NLJ High School, has a capacity for only 300 students but sees around 1,500 applicants annually, leaving approximately 1,200 students deprived of education.
"Without immediate expansion of the school or the construction of a new one, a permanent solution to this crisis is impossible," said Mohammad Parvez Alam, president of the school's management committee.
Shahnewaz Ahmed Khan, the committee's vice-president, added, "We have waited for promises for a long time; but basic rights are still elusive."
Akram emphasised that the people from the Urdu-speaking community are citizens of Bangladesh and are entitled to rights to education, housing, and a dignified life.
He urged the adviser to prioritise and take immediate action on fast-tracking rehabilitation, expanding educational facilities, and implementing full citizen rights.
Adilur received the memorandum and assured the delegation that he would review the matter on a priority basis and inform the relevant departments to take necessary action.
