An Appeal to Rakhines

Once a prosperous Rakhine community in Bangladesh is now

struggling for survival. Poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, brokeneconomic-backbone etc. are the main impediments to the progress and
prosperity of Rakhine society. Of these, illiteracy plays a crucial role in
drowning in our community.
Rakhines in Bangladesh are scattered in three districts viz. Coxs Bazar,
Patuakhali and Barguna, out of 64 districts in Bangladesh. Rakhines
in three districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts identify themselves as Marma.
Rakhine population in Bangladesh is estimated around one hundred
thousand. Of them, about 10 percent are literates and more than 80
percent are living from hand to mouth.
Our people are living in rural and off-shore villages. They engage in
small businesses with limited income. Those living along riverside are
involved in fishing for livelihood and are affected by natural calamities
every year, which sometimes snatched away their lives and belongings.
To come out from this prevailing situation, utmost priority must be given to
education - education for all Rakhines. Education will make our people
fittest to fight for our sustainability in Bangladesh. But poverty-stricken
families cannot afford educational expenses and school charges for their
children.
Primary education is free in Bangladesh. The government is supplying
textbooks free to students from class VI to X, but annual, tuition and
examination fees need to be paid by the students. Impoverished students
failing to pay monthly tuition fees regularly tend to dropout in mid
year.
With a view to slashing the dropout and retaining them in schools, the
Rakhine students Education Fund (RSEFund) has been extending
financial support to poor students since its inception in 2006. The
RSEFund is supported by a few contributors who deposited 50,000 taka
each for a three-year. A contributor can withdraw his/her money after
three years or contributes for another three years and so on. We buy
certificates for three years. The interest we get from the certificates for a
year is distributed among poor students.

We have limited contributors. The more we have contributors, the more

interest-money will come. And we can help more students. We welcome
every one to join us and any contribution to the Fund. We would urge all
to help our students in their pursuing of education.
Hostel
The RSEFund has a plan to establish a hostel at Dhaka with a view to
imparting qualified education to probable students. Limited number of
poor but meritorious students from rural areas will be brought to the
hostel and get them admitted in good schools. These students will be
properly guided and be provided with all facilities available in the hostel.
Monastery
We are thinking of building a monastery in Dhaka. A piece of land is to be
bought in Dhaka with the availability of fund. A land of 15 decimal will be
an ideal premise for the monastery and the hostel. Rakhine community in
Bangladesh and around the world will extend active support to this noble
initiative.
A 5-storey building will be designed for the monastery and constructed
step by step. The hostel will be housed in the building. It will have an
auditorium, a Dhamma Room and a library.
It is worth mentioning that there are five monasteries in Dhaka. Three monasteries
belong to Barua community while one each to Marma and Chakma. These
monasteries perform religious functions and work for welfare of their communities
as well.

Vision
The monastery will serve as a centre for religious and socio-cultural
activities of Rakhine community. It will facilitate to teach Rakhine
language and literature to the students. The fact is that many of us
cannot read and write our alphabets - Rakhine.
The monastery will provide temporary shelter to students coming to
Dhaka for admission in universities and colleges, job seekers and
patients looking for better treatment at Dhaka.
Education must be given preference for development of our community
and elimination of poverty from our society. Well-off Rakhines should
extend supporting hands to all efforts aimed at building a society of
excellent Rakhines.