Record 13 million Stand Up for MDGs in Bangladesh
An unprecendented 13.23 million people including political leaders, sportsmen, artists, businessmen, teachers and students participated in the Stand Up And Take Action mobilisation on MDGs in Bangladesh. Redeeming the pledge to fight against poverty, people asserted their demands for food security, fair wage and access to health and education.
“The time for talk is over; we demand urgent action to implement these Goals now”
Setting an unprecedented record in Bangladesh, 13.23 million people from all walks of life, from the city to the remotest part of the country joined the Stand Up And Take Action mobilisation on MDGs.
They expressed their solidarity with the anti-poverty campaign demanding food security, fair wage and employment, access to health, education and removal of all kinds of discrimination.
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education through an official circular organised the campaign in 60,000 schools in six divisions, 493 upazila offices, 481 upazila resource centers and 64 district primary education offices. A total of 118,33,419 people including students, teachers and officials participated in the campaign.
People’s Forum on MDGs (PFM) Bangladesh in association with National Federation of Youth Organizations in (NFYOB) organised a Children’s Rally at Bangladesh Shishu Academy. Large number of children joined the anti-poverty rally.
Uniting for a cause
In another program at the same venue, a signature campaign was inaugurated by Mustafa Mohiuddin, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Government of Bangladesh.
The signature campaign received spontaneous response from the political parties. Senior political leaders and human rights activists like Dr. Kamal Hossain, Abul Mal Abdul Muhit of Awami League, Abdul Mannan, an ex-state minister, Sadek Siddiki of Jatyo Party (Manju) and Tasmin Rana, an ex-MP signed the call for eradicating poverty, injustice and inequality.
A total number of 3,000 people were mobilised during the rally and signature campaign.
The Bangladesh Cricket Control Board officials and players for the first time joined the campaign and expressed their solidarity in a Stand Up event held during the second day of the Bangladesh-New Zealand test series at the Chittagong Ruhul Amin stadium.
The officials and players of the visiting New Zealand cricket team also expressed their solidarity during this brief event. A total of 50,000 people participated in the Stand Up pledge read out by the PFM focal point.
As a part of the corporate social responsibility, mega stores like Nandon helped carry out signature campaigns at three of their outlets from October 17-19, 2008. A total of 2,600 shoppers signed the signature sheets as a mark of solidarity towards the anti-poverty campaign.
A road show organised in Dhaka on October 18 started from the Dhaka University campus and passed through Dhanmondi to the Parliament Building and finally finished off in front of the National Museum.
Popular singers like Azam Khan, Shahed, Kafil Ahmed, Fahmida Nabi, and some youth bands joined the show and performed as part of their solidarity with this campaign. The road show travelled around 65 km in Dhaka and collected 7,044 signatures.
On October 18, the Dhaka City Corporation organised a grand rally led by the City Mayor himself at the Nagar Bhavan, where 8,000 marginalised people joined and raised their voices against social injustice, inequality and fair wage.
The World Day for the Eradication of Poverty was also observed through various programmes including boat and cycle rallies, formation of human chain, discussions, street theatre, court yard meeting, community fair, stand up at cinema halls and other cultural programmes were organised by PFM, the GCAP alliance in Bangladesh at local level in cooperation with its partners and other affiliate members during October 17-19, 2008.
