Workshop On Leadership & Human Rights for College and University going indigenous students
On last 18 December, 2011 ECDO organized a workshop on Leadership Development & Human Rights for College and University going indigenous students. About 45 indigenous students from different community in Sylhet region participated in that workshop. Mr. Laskshmikanta Singh, Executive Director of ECDO made an introductory speech about his organization and its activities through a multimedia presentation.
Professor Dr. Faisal Ahmmed from Social work department, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology was present in that workshop as a resource person. He made two presentations on human rights and leadership. He also described the present situation of indigenous community on the context of Bangladesh and justified why training on leadership and human rights are important for indigenous students. 
He suggested the students to know about his/her community so that they can take necessary initiative and make plan for the development of their own community. Mr. Lakshmikanta said working on indigenous peoples he found most of the mainstream community peoples are also very much concern about the problems of indigenous peoples. So the leaders of indigenous peoples and others who are working for the development of indigenous community should work together with mainstream civil society members for getting their valuable support & cooperation to establish the rights of indigenous peoples. Further he suggests the indigenous students for establish good relationship with mainstream community students so that indigenous peoples can get their valuable support on indigenous issue. 
The students thanked to ECDO for organizing like this valuable workshop on leadership development for indigenous students. The participant students were from Khasi, Manipuri, Garo, Hajong, Pangal and some other community. ECDO was organized this workshop with support from Oxfam GB under its Support to Indigenous Peoples in Plan Land-SIPPL project.
A women leadership training was organized by ECDO during 10th -12th December 2011 in Sylhet. Twenty five women representatives from different indigenous Community Based Organizations (CBO) for women participated in the training. The main objective of this training was to develop their capacity to ensure women empowerment in the society. Advocate Sayeda Shirin Akhter, Divisional head of Sylhet Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) was present as the chief facilitator in the training. 
Advocate Zakia Jalal lawyer of Sylhet district Judge Court was also present as a facilitator of this three day long training. In this training session topics on women’s leadership, concept of development, present status of women on the context of Bangladesh, a brief discussion on violence against women, CEDAW, negative impact of early marriage etc were widely discussed before the participants. Two video clips related to women’s rights & violence against women was also shown as part of training session. At the last day, as part of the closing session, S. Rina Devi, President, Bangladesh Manipuri Mahila Samity, shared her experience how indigenous people fight for their rights and as woman how much struggle is to ensure rights. 
In his concluding speech, Mr. Lakshmikanta Singh Executive Director of ECDO, requested all participants to ensure proper utilization of knowledge and skills what they have learnt in the training for establish women rights in their respective societies for stopping violence against women and for ensuring their rights. This training program was organized by ECDO under its Support to Indigenous Peoples in Plain Land- SIPPL project funded by Oxfam GB.
A workshop was organized by ECDO on the importance of bi-lingual education for indigenous children. The workshop was held in a hotel conference hall at Sylhet city chaired by Mr. Lakshmikanta Singh Executive Director of ECDO on 28th November 2011. Community leaders, and influential personalities of indigenous groups in Sylhet area was the key participants of the workshop. As well as members of civil society, teachers and NGO representatives were also present in the workshop. Mr. N M Ziaul Alam, Divisional Commissioner of Sylhet Division was present as Chief Guest in that workshop. Mr. Khan Md. Bilal, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sylhet, Mr. Abdur Rahman, Divisional Deputy Director of Primary Education department was also present as special guest.
Just after this presentation Professor Faisal presented his key paper before the audience. He addressed the difficulties and challenges that are frequently encountered by indigenous children at the time of receiving primary education. Referring research findings he pointed out that mainly due to language barriers many of indigenous children can not continue education or can not learn school lesson properly. In his presentation he shows why indigenous teacher is important for the better learning of indigenous student.
12 days long Skilled Development Training on Sewing, Block, Boutique was held on 19-30 November 2011 at Alaibahar & Bhararhat, Khadimnagar, Sylhet. The training session inaugurated by Mr. Abdul Mannan, Upozilla Youth Officer of Sylhet Sadar. The training session was inaugurated by Mr. Lakshmikanta Singh, Executive Director of ECDO with the Khadimnagor Union Member Md. Nazim Uddin Imran as the special guest.
Chief Guest Mr. Abdul Mannan in his speech expressed his thanks to 
ECDO for this type of training session which will help to develop the adolescents skills . The training was a joint initiative of ECDO and Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) under Development Initiative to Promote Transforming Youth and Adolescents (DIPTYA) Project. A total number of 40 female adolescents took participate in these trainings.
Ethnic Community Development Organization – ECDO have launched Development Initiative to Promote Transforming Youth and Adolescents – DIPTYA project from 1st July 2011 with support from Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF).
In this monthly group meeting the facilitator will discuss on Human Rights, Women Rights, Child Rights & about Right to Information Act (RTI) to make aware about their rights among the adolescents.
ECDO have celebrated World Indigenous day in Sylhet divisional head quarter on 9th August 2011. More then ten to fifteen different local indigenous people’s organizations took participate in that day celebration. A colorful rally was arranged on the occasion of that day observation and there were more than one thousand indigenous men and women took participate in the rally bearing placard written to ensure many of their demands to the government. Among many of their demands one of the mentionable demand was to ensure constitutional rights for the indigenous peoples of the country.
Most of the speakers criticized the present government for not recognize the constitutional rights of indigenous peoples of Bangladesh. And the woman MP Sayeda Jebunnesa Haque committed she will share about the demand of indigenous peoples to Prime minister for her valuable consideration. Mentionable, that the whole program was organized by the ‘World Indigenous Day observation Committee of Sylhet’. It should be mentioned that ECDO was started celebration of World Indigenous Day in Sylhet Divisional head quarter since 2005 and still it is going on.
On 9th March, 2011Wednesday speakers urged the government to formulate an appropriate policy to face the adverse impacts of climate change and global warming. They also stressed the need for strong alliance of the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) to keep up the pressure on developed nations to reduce carbon dioxide emission.
Addressing the workshop as Chief Guest, City Mayor Mr. Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran said the government would not allow any polluting industry and has already made it mandatory for state-owned units to set up waste management devices. He said the new industrial policy will encourage environment-friendly industrialisation.