Bangladeshi young Catholics encouraged to be writers

About 41 young Catholics from eight dioceses of Bangladesh are participating in the 25th National Writers Workshop organized by the Catholic Bishop’s Commission for Youth and the Christian Communication Center from May 9-13.   

Over the past 25 years the program has created prominent writers and journalists from Christian communities, said Holy Cross Bishop Lawrence Subrato Howlader of Barishal, chairman of the commission.

The aim of the workshop is to inspire future writers and journalists from Christian community who can use the power of writing based on Christian values and justice to build up a better community and society," the prelate said.

Partha Shankar Saha, a senior subeditor with Bangladesh's leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo encouraged participants to fight for truth and justice. "A journalist must be honest and always in favor of justice and it is their duty to shine a light on social discrepancies. Minority communities, especially indigenous people, face unjust situations and by taking up writing they can fight for rights and justice," said Saha, one of the trainers.

Asim Roy Tripura, a graduate student from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, said he was encouraged to write the problems faced by indigenous peoples. "Now I can write for newspapers about the violations against poor and marginalized indigenous communities who face systematic violence," Roy said.

The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) estimates there are 3 million indigenous people from at least 54 different ethnic groups speaking 35 different languages in Bangladesh. The indigenous population has suffered a great deal in the past.  The Church in Bangladesh is making efforts to train the future writers to be able to fight for truth and justice.   (UCAN)