Feature

'Institutionalising Democracy in Bangladesh

Civic Education Programme for High School and Madrasa Students in Comilla

Zakir Azad

Change Makers, a civic education and human rights organisation conducted the program "Institutionalising Democracy in Bangladesh: Civic Education Program for the High School and Madrasa Students" in Comilla. The programme, supported by the American Center, U.S. Embassy, Dhaka, revealed how the future leaders identified the problems of their beloved country.

About one thousand five hundred students from twenty educational institutions representing class VIII to class X were reached under the programme. Each participant received a school bag and different materials on civic education. Advocate Tanbir ul Islam Siddiqui, President of Change Makers, moderated the program.

The aim of the program is to influence social leaders so that they spread civic education as an important step towards institutionalising democracy in the country. The program has the following objectives: demonstrate the impact and usefulness of civic education on young citizens; develop students' depth of knowledge about civic life and create an atmosphere for undertaking nationwide civic education program. The program has created an opportunity for the students to know and understand the constitution of Bangladesh, fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution, the universal declaration of human rights (UDHR), good governance issues, civic rights and duties, corruption and its impact, national parliament and its procedure, human trafficking, child rights convention, terrorism as a global threat upon humanity and international days and weeks declared by the UN.

The sessions in each institution started with a questionnaire about the constitution, human rights, parliament etc. This was done to asses the perception of the students on those subjects. After the discussion and the question-answer session, a second questionnaire was handed out to each student. Aside from the questions that needed to be answered after reading the books, there were some difficult questions too. The purpose behind this was that the organisers wanted the students to include their parents and families and therefore even make their families aware of civic education in a small way.

Mr. Badrul Huda Jenu, Former director of Bangladesh Cricket Board and convener of Transparency International Bangladesh, Comilla and Dr. Golam Shah Jahan spoke on the occasion. The program enjoyed overwhelming response from all parties concerned. Senior citizens, teachers, journalists, legal professionals, human rights activists, civil society members, doctors and religious leaders attended the event as guest speakers. They described the programme as a bold step towards institutionalising democracy in the country and urged the students to read and follow the constitution so that they can understand the supreme law of the land and use the document in their future life.