Rajshahi: Close collaborations between the government and non-government organizations (GO-NGO) can be the effective means of successful implementation of grassroots level development activities. Simultaneously, the role of NGOs is very important towards the successful implementation of the government's uplift programmes in terms of taking the nation forward. According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, development activists and social workers made this observation while addressing a discussion on Bangladesh NGO Foundation Day. The event was organized by the Rajshahi district unit of the Bangladesh NGO Foundation (BNF) at a city restaurant. More than 50 participants from BNF member organizations, including Ladies Organization for Social Welfare (LOFS), Shapla Gram Unnayan Sangstha, Nikunja Basti Unnayan Sangstha, and Peoples Development Organization (PDO), attended the program. During the occasion, mosquito nets were distributed among some project beneficiaries as a preventive measure against dengue. The meeti ng, presided over by LOFS Executive Director Shahnaz Parveen, featured speeches from other notable figures, including Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Development ATM Holam Mahbub and PDO Executive Director Enamul Haque. The discussants unanimously agreed that societal issues such as violence against women, child marriage, child labor, dowry, gender disparity, and drug addiction require a concerted effort from all GO-NGOs to be eradicated. They emphasized that eradicating child marriage, addressing violence against women, and ensuring equal rights to education, training, science, and technology are crucial for the country's progress. The prevalent practice of child marriage, especially affecting girls who are often considered societal burdens in slums and rural areas, was highlighted as a severe issue. Participants described child marriage as a gross violation of human rights and stressed the need for massive awareness campaigns about the negative impacts of early marriage, leveraging mass media t o spread the message.
