Starting from a remote village in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Zabarang Kalyan Samiti (Zabarang) has become a renowned development organization in three decades. Established in 1995 in Khagrapur village of Khagrachari district, the organization celebrated its 30th anniversary today with a colorful program at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Gulshan, the capital.
The Chief Guest of the event was Mr. Md. Anwar Hossain, Honorable Director (Joint Secretary) of the NGO Affairs Bureau. He congratulated the 30th anniversary of the Zabarang Kalyan Samity and said that in order to include the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the mainstream of development, they must ensure education in their own language, preserve and nurture their traditions; and Zabarang is playing an important role in this regard, and can play an even bigger role in the future. He further said that, “The NGO Affairs Bureau is considering small development organizations at the marginal level, therefore, without NGO Bureau registration, small local organizations can work as partners in donor-funded projects. Besides, NGO Bureau approval is not required to work with funds up to Tk 50 lakh.”
Also present as guests were various government officials, representatives of development partners, researchers, members of civil society and representatives of various ethnic groups of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The event was presided over by Prashant Kumar Tripura, Honorable Member of Khagrachari Hill District Council. Special guest Norihide Furukawa, Head of Education, UNESCO, praised Zabarang’s education and MLE program and wished for more prosperity in the future. The speakers discussed various aspects of Zabarang’s activities, as well as requested to prepare to lead development activities as a local institution.
The opening ceremony featured the national anthem and traditional cultural performances of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. In her welcome speech, Mathura Bikash Tripura, Executive Director of Zabarang Kalyan Samity, thanked the national and international organizations and the Bangladesh government for their support and said that Zabarang’s 30-year journey is essentially a history of the struggle for the rights, language, education and dignity of the marginalized communities of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The documentary ‘Zabarang: A Journey of 30 Years’ was screened at the event, which showcased the organization’s contributions to multilingual mother tongue education (MLE), sustainable livelihoods, youth leadership development, and health and women’s empowerment.
It is worth noting that in 2021, the Executive Director of Zabarang was awarded the International Mother Tongue Award in recognition of his contribution to multilingual mother tongue education.
In addition, the commemorative book ‘Roots to Impact’, published on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, was unveiled at the event. The keynote address was presented by Dr. Hari Purna Tripura in a panel discussion titled ‘Roots to Impact: Development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the Past 30 Years and Future Community Development’.
The program was moderated by Zabarang’s Program Director, Entertainment Tripura, and other speakers in the open discussion session included BNCU representative Md. Tajuddin, Mass Literacy Campaign’s Tapan Kumar Das, Plan International’s Farzana Mehrin, Save the Children’s Meherun Nahar Swapna, Headman and President of the Village Common Network (VCF Network) Jubo Laxman Chakma, Women Headman Ekhin Chowdhury, Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha Coordinator Sanjay Majumder, Executive Director of the CWFD Ladley Faiz, Bangladesh Health Watch representative Masud Alam, Executive Director of the Weaving Organization Nai U Pru Marma Meri, Dighinala URC Instructor Md. Mainuddin, and others.
At the end of the program, a cake was cut to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Zabarang Kalyan Samity.