A joint workshop organised by the Society for Environment and Human Development (SED), Brattyajan Resource Centre (BRC) and the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) was held at CIRDAP in Dhaka on 26 November. More than a hundred participants—including indigenous and marginalised community representatives, researchers, linguists, academics,
filmmakers, rights activists and journalists—attended the event.
The workshop featured the first screening of the documentary “Because of Caste” (Jatpater Boli), focusing on the lives of the Kayputra and Rishi communities. SED also launched its latest publication, Report and Analysis: Marginalized and Excluded Communities of Bangladesh. Organisers noted that SED has been working on research, documentation and visual storytelling on marginalised groups for nearly three decades.
The event was chaired by Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, economist and Executive Chairman of PPRC. Philip Gain, Director of SED, delivered the keynote presentation highlighting the impact of SED’s long-term initiatives on investigation, research, visual documentation and capacity building among marginalised groups.
The morning session brought together noted discussants, including filmmaker and researcher Dr Zakir Hossain Raju; Prashanta Tripura, Country Director of The Hunger Project; Dr Ashok Kumar Biswas, Director of the Chattogram Hill Tracts Tradition Preservation and Research Centre; filmmaker Tanim Noor; former BBS Director General Mohammad Abdul Wazed; and Prothom Alo Special Correspondent Shishir Morol.
Dr Rahman said ensuring visibility and dignity for marginalised populations is essential for any democratic process. He stressed the importance of data and research in strengthening the capacity of disadvantaged communities. The speakers emphasised the need to bring marginalised voices into policy and academic platforms. Journalist Shishir Morol noted that many of these communities are now facing heightened risks.
In the afternoon session, representatives from ten community clusters shared their field-level experiences, highlighting the everyday realities, vulnerabilities and protection challenges faced by marginalised groups across different regions.
