Bangladeshi young Catholics encouraged to be writers

The 25th National Writers Workshop will train Christian writers and journalists to shed a light on social issues Bangladeshi young Catholics encouraged to be writers

Partha Shankar Saha, a senior sub-editor with Bangladesh's leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo encourages participants from the ongoing
25th National Christian Writers Workshop to fight for truth and justice with writing and reporting on May 10 in Dhaka (ucanews.com photo)

The Catholic Bishops' Commission for Youth and the Christian Communication Center is organizing a workshop to encourage young Catholics to take up writing and journalism.

Some 41 young Catholics from eight dioceses will participate in the 25th National Writers Workshop at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh center on May 9-13.

Over the past 25 years the program has created prominent writers and journalists from Christian communities, said Holy Cross Bishop Lawrence Subrato Howlader of Barishal, chairman of the commission.

"Our primary focus is to inspire future writers and journalists from Christian community, who can use the power of writing based on Christian values and justice to build up a better community and society," the prelate said.

Partha Shankar Saha, a senior subeditor with Bangladesh's leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo encouraged participants to fight for truth and justice.

"A journalist must be honest and always in favor of justice and it is their duty to shine a light on social discrepancies. Minority communities, especially indigenous people, face unjust situations and by taking up writing they can fight for rights and justice," said Saha, one of the trainers.

Asim Roy Tripura, a graduate student from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, said he was encouraged to write the problems faced by indigenous peoples.

"Now I can write for newspapers about the violations against poor and marginalized indigenous communities who face systematic violence," Roy said.