Protection of ethnic community’s cultural heritage underscored

RAJSHAHI, Apr 19 (BSS): Speakers at a ceremony here said the issue of ancestral festival and cultural heritage of the plain ethnic communities should be given importance for protecting those from further degradation.
They viewed the culture of the ethnic communities as heritage, resource and integral part of the society, so all quarters should take the responsibility to protect it.
They were addressing the opening ceremony of a three-day "Ethnic Community Baha Festival and Boishakhi Fair-2015" held at the Shilpakala Academy auditorium in the city on Friday.
Rajshahi Divisional Ethnic Community Cultural Academy organised the annual event where hundreds of the community people both male and female attended.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, MP, and Akter Jahan, MP, addressed the session as the chief and special guests respectively with Helaluddin Ahmed, Commissioner of Rajshahi Division, in the chair.
Principal of Rajshahi Court Degree College Prof Shafiqur Rahman Badsha, district unit president of Jatiya Adibashi Parishad Bimol Chandra Rajoad and Deputy Director of the academy SM Shamim Akter also spoke.
The speakers viewed that cultural practices and other ancestral entertainment of the ethnic communities are gradually diminishing due to various reasons and called for protecting the cultural heritage from further degradation.
The state minister said he had been with the ethnic community people in the past and will remain with them in future also. He assured her cooperation for the development of them.
He underscored the need for undertaking effective measures towards the livelihood development of the plain-land ethnic people as they are adjudged as most vulnerable and underprivileged section of the society.