‘Learning Document Series 14-15’ is fifth in the annual series that ActionAid Bangladesh has been producing since 2009. The underlying purpose of LDS is to portray rights-based alternatives and development practices facilitated by ActionAid and its partners for wider upscale and replication

It has been nearly 15 years when Bangladesh was identified as the country worst vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, with metrological agencies and experts foreseeing that the country would face the worst climatic disasters in the next 20 years. Their prediction was partly right. Bangladesh did face several catastrophic natural disasters like Super Cyclone Sidr, Cyclone Aila and devastating flood of 2004 over the last 15 years. The damage the calamities caused to the country was colossal. The cyclone in 1991 claimed the lives of some 138,000 people, while Sidr killed 3447. But these subsequent disasters could not put the people of this country on back foot. Every time they turned out to be more resilient. After every disaster, the people of the affected communities turned around, stood hand in hand, and shoulder to shoulder to get back to normal life. For the rescue-workers, it was always a big surprise the way the community people tackled the disaster.

Bangladesh is a signatory to ‘United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’, which formally recognises the rights of people with all types of disabilities. The ratification of the protocol by the then ruling party in 2008 has brought the State under the obligation of safeguarding the rights of those who suffer from either physical or mental retardation. However, the dignified life is still a far cry for this marginalized group of people in Bangladesh. Frequent media reports on humiliation of physically challenged or mentally ill persons only prove government’s utter indifference to the issue.

In Bangladesh we have used the word “adivasi”- the Sanskrit/ Bangla word for indigenous population – without hesitation until the past two years. It was in the election manifesto of political parties, agreements, policies and legislations, not to mention in the discourse of the academia and advocacy of activists. We are referring to the communities / ethnic minorities of the hill areas and of plain land. By some account there are 45 communities in the hill areas and land of indigenous communities, some as small as a community of 2000 people only. However, the government sources claim there are only 27 communities.

Education is critical to human development, enlightenment and emancipation. It is a powerful vehicle for securing social justice. Education is a fundamental human right, the responsibility of the state and a core element of national development policy. Securing the right to education is key to enabling people to secure other basic rights. This article is a critical analysis on how the draft education law 2013 to look into how much inclined it was to protect the right of education of citizens.

This report is developed on information from a phone-survey on 278 deceased garments workers who left behind children.

We were responding to the deadliest garment-factory accident in history. After the rescue and needs assessment, we are standing by the RMG workers. We have also been busy raising fund for the victims. But, ‘Mahasen’ had something other planned for letting us know the people’s readiness to fight disasters!

ActionAid Bangladesh, with the support of partner organizations, launched the LEADR Project (Liberation and Empowerment: Attaining Dignity and Rights for Sex Workers and their Children in Bangladesh) in December 2011. This project has been funded by AECID (Agencia Española de Cooperación y Desarrollo) and its core goal is to promote the rights of this segment of society in order to improve their wellbeing and prevent human trafficking.

In 2012, we spent a significant time for creating understanding on our new Country Strategy Paper (CSP-IV) and developing programmes in line with the document. Substantial amount of time was also invested in change management process and capacity building of the staff and partners on new CSP and HRBA programming approach. We worked with excluded people and individuals living in poverty and their organisations, movements to build active agencies so that they can lead their own social change process. Our core constituencies were spread across age, sex, location and diverse categories of exclusion. Also, to support people’s action as part of solidarity, we worked with state and non-state actors and institutions.

The National Alliance for Risk Reduction and Response Initiative (NARRI) Consortium from Bangladesh, which is led by ActionAid, has been awarded the 2013 UN Sasakawa Award – the highest award for contributions to disaster risk reduction. The UN award is given to an individual or institutions that have taken active efforts in reducing disaster risk in their communities and advocates for disaster risk reduction. The award team was impressed with the achievement of the NARRI Consortium in working together in the fields of disaster risk reduction and resilience.

Many of us at the country office and friends in the rural areas contributed in this second issue of the e-magazine. We are more than happy to be able to get to you people’s stories from the grassroots – people who are constantly bringing change in their lives.

I hear wailing horn of the ambulance losing to sirens from a heavy jeep hoisting the flag of Bangladesh and being escorted by special order protocol men carrying walky-talkies, dust masks and khaki vests making haste to make way behind their goggles. Critically injured survivors needing transfer to any hospital inside the city will have to suffer this tailback ordeal – I keep thinking zeep-ing towards the site this morning