“I grew up here and saw how a lack of information leads to school dropouts and addiction. Only a few of us managed to become educated. While we try to raise awareness, we believe collective efforts can create more meaningful and lasting change than individual actions,”said Abdul Rahman, a teacher at Pogose Laboratory School and College, Puran Dhaka, reflected on the long-standing challenges faced by the community and the importance of collective action.
Although Dhaka shows visible infrastructural development compared to other cities in Bangladesh, the reality for many urban residents tells a different story. In several communities, superstition, lack of awareness, and limited access to information continue to affect daily life, education, health, and civic participation.
To address these challenges, the Youth for Policy Dhaka Committee with support from the central team, conducted research in the Savar area, which revealed residents’ daily struggles and limited awareness of their civic rights. Based on these findings, a Youth-led Social Accountability initiative was launched to raise awareness about civic rights and strengthen connections between community members and stakeholders, including local leaders, service providers, and policymakers.
The initiative focuses on civic rights and proper support using various platforms—such as podcasts, comic books, and community dialogues in schools—to engage teachers, parents, and youth, ensuring that relevant stakeholders can take informed steps to support the community.
Sahana, a female parent from the community, shared her story:
“I did not get the opportunity to continue my studies due to child marriage. But I want my children to have the chance to study and become established in life so they do not have to work as day laborers,” she said.
Sharif Ahmed, an NGO worker, pointed out the long-standing information gap in the community.
“I think our community is at least ten years behind. Even now, people suffer from illnesses that are curable simply because of a lack of information, awareness, and prevailing prejudices. We are all responsible for this situation, and we must change with time to make our lives easier,” he said.
The discussion facilitated as part of the initiative also found that school dropout rates remain high due to child marriage, child labour, lack of Civic information, awareness and service quality in Education, Health and growing addiction to online gambling and mobile gaming. Additionally, many government services are either inaccessible or of low quality, further limiting residents’ ability to exercise their rights.
Through this initiative, Youth Policy aims to empower communities with information, amplify citizen voices, and promote accountability by encouraging collaboration between citizens and institutions for sustainable social change.