Some eminent personalities yesterday urged the government to include all people of different underprivileged communities in the national census for protecting their rights.
Exclusion of communities like Dalit and the indigenous from the census is not only a clear violation of human rights but also of the constitution, they said.
They made the call at a dialogue at Cirdap auditorium in the city. National Census Observation Committee and Self Help Association for Rural People Through Education and Entrepreneurship (Sharee) jointly organised the function.
Justice Ghulam Rabbani said the census should be conducted transparently to contain information of all communities and races.
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman, “If government does not include them in the census, I, on behalf of my commission, will ask the government to explain,” he said.
Information Commi-ssioner Prof Sadeka Halim, Noted economist Prof Abul Barakat also spoke. Sharee Executive Member Dr Gool Hossain chaired the event.