Staff Reporter :
The small initiatives taken by the youth to change the society are very important, but they have to think about changing and reforming the structure of the state to really change the country.
Debapriya Bhattachary, distinguished fellow at the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a private think tank in the country, came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion on “The Role of Youth in Achieving the SDGs” at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) in the capital on Monday.
The Hunger Project in cooperation with the British Council organized the discussion on the occasion of the International Youth Day.
Debapriya said, “Scattered reforms will not work, if the state cannot be reformed. People must be responsible citizen. Individual initiative, collective effort and social activism are required for this.”
“The initiatives will have to be proceeded step by step and there should be compassion for people. You (youth) have to take a risk, have to sacrifice something to make a change. The country is your, it must be remembered,” the economist said.
Referring to high unemployment among educated youth, he said, “Unemployment is high in the country due to lack of quality education. Drug addiction, depression, suicidal tendencies and extremist thoughts are creeping in today’s youth. These must be dealt with for future change.”
Badiul Alam Majumdar, Global Vice President and Country Director for Bangladesh at the Hunger Project, said, “The society, belongs as much as youth, will be more potential. There will have more risk takers and creativities in that society.”
“So, the young people need to be prepared and should be trained in that way with quality education,” he said.
There have been many street demonstrations in recent times including the safe road movement. But the movements were remained unsuccessful, he said.
“Making the movement a successful one, the state needs to be repaired and a far-reaching change in the state structure must be made,” he added.
Addressing the youth, he said, “Reforms will come only by bridging small works. Be active and vocal in your role as a citizen. One must fulfill the civic duty to change the state structure.”
Deputy Director of SDG Cell Focal Point of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Md Alamgir Hossain, British Council Inclusive Project Manager Abdur Rahman Khan and Hunger Project Senior Program Manager Shashank Baran Roy, among others, spoke on the occasion.
