RAJSHAHI, Aug 19, 2024 (BSS)-Ensuring discrimination-free fundamental rights to the urban poor and marginalized people can be the crucial means of balanced development everywhere in the society.

All the government and non-government organizations concerned should come forward and work together to ensure basic rights, particularly habitat, power, water, health and education, of the underprivileged people.

Youth leaders and development activists came up with the observations while addressing a human chain-cum-street meeting here today.

The Right Implementation Committee for the Urban Poor People organized the meeting at Shaheb Bazar Zero Point supported by Barendra Youth Forum (BYF), Green Coalition Rajshahi, Sabuj Sanghati and Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK).

Convener of the committee khorshed Alam, BARCIK Regional Coordinator Shahidul Islam, Slum-dweller Zaheda Khatun, BYF President Shaikh Tasnim, human rights worker Rukhsan Mahmud, Sabuj Sanghati member-secretary Nazmul Hossain and Joydev Kumar from Harijan Pally addressed the meeting.

Putting forward a nine-point demand, the speakers unequivocally called for ensuring basic rights to the poor people together with safe and eco-friendly habitat for them.
 
Shahidul Islam told the meeting that there are 10,202 poor households consisting of 39,077 people in 104 slums in the city.

Most of the slum people are dwelling in government lands and the numbers of slum-dwelling people are gradually mounting due to various reasons, including the adverse impact of climate change.

However, no significant developments were seen to improve the living and livelihood conditions of the slum people.