THE following human rights organisations have expressed their shock at a circular sent by the Prime Ministers office to the NGO Bureau asking the NGOs to stop their development work in Dhaka slums and Instead follow the government' sudden decision to repatriate the evicted slum dwellers back to the village. This circular issued on 25 September was forwarded by the NGO Bureau to several NGOs on 27 September, a week before the UN's commemoration of a Decade of Rights to Habitat and Housing — to which Bangladesh is a party.

The NGOs have been carrying on various development Erogrammes in the area of micro-finance, education and ealth. They have by now invested many millions of takas in their programmes, which has helped the poof to find self employment, to educate their children and to improve their quality of life.

We are alarmed at the premtory and casual call for suspending activities which are part of long term planning. This Is not only a violation of human rights to life, livelihood, shelter, but also Jeopardises our national Interests, as most of the slum dwellers are galnfuUy employed In industrial work, the transport, construction and service sectors.

Following a sudden and rapid eviction of over 50.000 persons from 17 slums in Dhaka last month, most of the residents have been dislocated and shelterless. The government has. in the last two weeks, carried out a rapid and random survey to elicit responses from slum dwellers regarding their options for residence. The survey was carried out without proper monitoring and the slum dwellers have complained that their views are not being correctly recorded.

We would urge upon the government to honour its International and constitutional obligations to the right to livelihood and shelter and not to contribute further to the dislocation of citizens. We would further demand that the government follow the recommendations of various government appointed task forces to provide tenurlal rights to slum dwellers, in available khas land and allow for a long term implementation of its development Ideals by cooperation between government an non-government agencies.

Ain-O-Salish Kendra, BLAST, ODHIKAR, Chlnnomul Shlshu Kishore Shongstha, RMMRU, Karmajibl Nari.