The Daily Samakal publish a news of ECDO on 29 April 2012. Please see the related news link;
The Daily Samakal: http://www.samakal.net/details.php?news=194&view=archiev&y=2012&m=04&d=29&action=main&menu_type=&option=single&news_id=255304&pub_no=1038&type=
Leaders of indigenous peoples, social activists and journalists stressed the need for proactive role of the media to protect indigenous people’s rights through projecting their sufferings.
Speaking at a seminar, they said the media could be used as a powerful tool of disseminating information about the indigenous peoples and drawing attention of the policymakers to resolve their problems.
The discussion on ‘Role of Media to establish rights for indigenous peoples was organized by a Sylhet-based NGO, Ethnic Community Development Organization (ECDO), at a city hotel on 20 March 2012.
The indigenous leaders told the seminar that most of the indigenous issues are ignored in the local and national media, and indigenous voices are almost absent. Media portray some stereotyped images of indigenous life and highlight only some cultural activities and incidents, they added.
On the other hand, journalists said they need authentic sources of information while reporting on major indigenous issues, but very few people dare to provide information. For in-depth reporting on indigenous issues, they sought cooperation from the community people. Lakshmikanta Singha, Executive Director of the ECDO, presented keynote paper in the seminar.
The indigenous peoples are deprived of adequate media coverage, said Lakshmikanta Singh, adding that issues relating to their rights and sufferings are not adequately reflected in the media. He suggested that journalists should concentrate on objective and in-depth reporting on the indigenous peoples. He described how the indigenous peoples are deprived of their rights and how other people treat them.
Convener of Socheton Nagorik Committee (TIB) Sylhet Faruque Mahmud Chowdhury presided & moderated over the seminar, including senior journalist Al Azad and other 35 journalists, indigenous community leaders, government, NGO officials and journalists were attended in the seminar. Faruk Mahmud Chowdhury stressed the need for objective reporting in media. “Media should not write anything which can affect peace and harmony between the plain land people and the minority community,” he added. Mentionable that ECDO was organized the seminar under its Support to indigenous peoples of plain land-SIPPL with support from Oxfam GB
Program related media link;
A group of Executive Committee (EC) member of Ethnic Community Development Organization-ECDO visited Jaintapur, Jaflong and Mokampunjee field area, Sylhet on 22nd March 2012. The main objective of this visit is to know the real situation & impact of project beneficiaries with activities implemented by ECDO. Mr. Anil Kishan Singha cultural activist & President executive committee of ECDO was leading the visit team along with Mr. Lakshmikanta Singh, Executive Director & Secretary of ECDO. The EC members have met & exchanged their views with different stakeholders including school teachers, students, Community Based Organization (CBO) leaders, public representatives (Union Parisad-UP Chairman) & others. The community peoples were very happy to get the EC members of ECDO among them. During that field visit EC members found at Jaflong area that the Khasi indigenous primary students are doing better in their school after recruitment of two community teachers at Songram Punjee & Noxiar Punjee Gov’t primary school. The guardian and the School Management Committee (SMC) members were highly appreciated of ECDO for solving the language barrier of their children at primary school providing by their own language speaking local indigenous community teachers.
On the other hand Jaintapur local UP Chairman Mr. Alamgir & other UP members were also very happy to get the EC members of ECDO with them. They thanked ECDO for cooperating them for formation of a Special Standing committee for indigenous peoples in their union. The UP chairman & members said their newly formed special standing committee will work for ensuring indigenous peoples right in their union. At the end of meeting ECDO visit team also thanked to the UP chairman and members for giving their valuable time & efforts to discuss on indigenous issue and others.
After that meeting EC members ECDO met with two indigenous CBO leaders (one was male & another was female CBO) at Goabari village. In that meeting EC members wanted to know about the mentionable achievement of their CBO’s. Then they said with the help of ECDO they formed a CBO in their village in 2009 with the name of Goabari Adivashi Kalyan Samity. They also said now they become in a platform under this CBO & claiming their rights to the different local government institutions (LGI) through this CBO. Further they said last few years ECDO provided them many training such as; Land rights training, Training on Human Rights, Training on Leadership, CBO management training, Right to Information Act etc. After getting those trainings now really they become more aware about their rights. Now they become understand how to up dates their land related documents, as a result their land ownership become more authentic which will protect & secured their land from local land grabbers. It should be mentioned that since 2008 ECDO is implementing indigenous people’s rights related different activities with support from Oxfam GB in Jaintapur & Jaflong area of Sylhet, northeastern parts of Bangladesh.
Sixty years ago (1952) on this day, the gallant sons of Bangladesh, the language martyrs Salam, Barkat, Rafique, Jabbar and some other brave hearts laid down their lives to safeguard the glory of their mother tongue, Bangla. On this day in the year of 1952, students and people from all strata of society took to the streets in Dhaka to protest the then Pakistan government’s refusal to recognize ‘Bangla’ as one of the state languages and imposition of ‘Urdu’ as the only official language of Pakistan. The government of the then Pakistan granted ‘Bangla’ the status of official language in 1956. 
The day is also being observed as the International Mother Language Day as per the declaration of the UNESCO on November 17, 1999. The UNESCO declared February 21 as the International Mother Language Day. ECDO on Tuesday paid glowing tributes to the Language Movement martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the mother tongue 60 years ago. ECDO organized a rally on the occasion of this day observation & after rally ECDO laid wreaths at the Sylhet Shaheed Minar and stood in silence for a few moments in remembrance of the martyrs. In the program there were present Executive committee members of the organization & staffs. ECDO observes this day for every year.
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.
Professor Dr. Faisal Ahmmed of Social Work department, Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Sylhet presented key paper through multimedia presentation on the importance of bilingual education for indigenous children especially at primary level. At the beginning of the workshop a presentation was also delivered by Mr. Lakshmikanta Singh about some achievement of community teachers’ recruitment project in government primary schools by ECDO since 2008 at Goainghat Upozela under Sylhet district. In his presentation he showed the gradual progress of indigenous children in the respective schools after recruitment of local indigenous teachers.
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.
Mr. N M Ziaul Alam, Chief Guest of the workshop appreciated ECDO’s community teachers’ recruitment project. He ranked ECDO as an excellent organization which is doing very good job for ensuring primary education for indigenous children. Further he comments that the government should replicate ECDO’s model and can recruit indigenous teacher for ensuring quality education as well as to reduce drop-out rate among indigenous children. Mr. Khan Md. Bilal, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sylhet assured ECDO for any kind of assistance in relation with their education project. Mr. Abdur Rahaman Especial Guest also appreciated for the initiative taken by ECDO for better education of indigenous children. As a responsible person he showed his commitment to cooperate ECDO for continuing their project. This workshop was organized by ECDO with the support from Oxfam GB under Support to Indigenous Peoples in Plan Land – SIPPL project.
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).
Under this project 5 adolescent groups will be formed consisting 20 members each group and also a discussion session will be held with each adolescent group in every month.
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.