In collaboration with:
SERAC-Bangladesh has taken an initiative with the support of UNDEF and UNHABITAT to form Mymensingh City Youth Council to ensure their participation in decision-making in general services through the empowerment of youth. Accordingly, a guideline has been held in Mymensingh to form a city youth council to ensure their participation in decision making on Friday (May 13) at a local auditorium in Mymensingh city.
The event was jointly organized by Mymensingh City Corporation and SERAC-Bangladesh.This event was presided over by SERAC-Bangladesh Executive Director SM Shaikat. Mayor of MCC Md. Ekramul Haque Titu attended as the chief guest, and other guests including, Panel Mayor-03 of MCC Ms. Shamima Akter, city councilor Md.Faruk Hasan and Mrs.Shammi Akter Mitu, were also present on this meeting.The meeting was also moderated by Md. Selim Mia, Program Assistant Director of SERAC-Bangladesh.
Mayor of MCC Ekramul Haque Titu said that the city corporation is committed to identifying the problems of the youth of Mymensingh city and find timely solutions. The active participation of the youth is very important for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals and the development plans of the Government of Bangladesh. He promised the full support of the city corporation in the formation of this city youth council.
SERAC-Bangladesh’s executive director SM Shaikat mentioned, this project will enhance the capacity of civic engagement among the youths of this city, and engage them with a participatory democratic and electoral process, where they will nominate and elect their own representatives to take their issues to the city corporation and formal spaces and the next four years, they (the task force members) are given instructions on how they will function and what responsibilities they will have, and how they will work with city mayors. The combination of all these will create and formulate the policy in question in collaboration with the task force. The city youth council will also advise the mayor regarding meaningful youth presence in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of development activities in the city. Which will support the government achieve SDGs 11, and 16 at the local level.
They also stated some of the key activities under this project will include youth council guideline preparation, formation of the urban youth council, voter list preparation, and election 20 youth councilors from the registered youth voters of the age of 18-35 in the city. The proposed urban youth council will connect with the Bangladesh Urban Youth Councils Network, and the World Urban Youth Councils Network and build partnerships to improve the capacity of the local youths.
On behalf of Mymensingh City Corporation, all the officials present on the meeting applauded the project and expressed their fullest support and cooperation towards the project implementation. Also present at the meeting were SERAC-Bangladesh Associate Program Officer Nahidur Rahman, Program Associate Sumaiya Akhter Mili, Apurba Roy, and Task Force members.
