Citizen groups across Jhinaigati, Nalitabari, Nakla and Sherpur Sadar came together in Sherpur for their third quarterly meetings, where they discussed unequal access to healthcare, weak public services and the continued exclusion of marginalised communities from local decision-making. The meetings brought together local residents, volunteers and community representatives to reflect on community concerns and push for stronger accountability in local governance.
Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF)’s programme titled “Achieving a Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Society through Enhanced Engagement of Civil Society and Citizens in Bangladesh”, is designed to empower marginalised communities, including women, youth and ethnic minorities, by enabling them to participate more effectively in local decision-making processes. The project places particular emphasis on citizen mobilisation, social audits and constructive engagement with local authorities to improve public service delivery and accountability. The Nagorikata Programme is jointly supported by the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and the European Union facilitated by GFA Consulting Group, and implemented by CPD.
This marked the third round of quarterly meetings organised by CPD under the project. In this cycle, 16 quarterly meetings were conducted with Citizen Groups across Bogura, Sherpur, Sunamganj and Noakhali, focusing on selected upazilas where socio-economic vulnerabilities and governance challenges were more pronounced.
Implemented locally by Indigenous Peoples Development Services (IPDS), the Sherpur meetings focused on reviewing earlier decisions, reflecting on lessons from social audits and preparing messages for further engagement with local authorities. Across the four upazilas, participants stressed that ordinary citizens needed greater access to fair, transparent and responsive public services.
Healthcare was one of the strongest issues raised throughout the meetings. Participants spoke about poor treatment in government hospitals, shortages of medicine, limited services and the difficulties marginalised people often faced when seeking care. At the same time, many saw community clinics as a more accessible and trusted source of basic healthcare.
In Jhinaigati, participants discussed healthcare, child marriage, access to government services and irregularities in the distribution of agricultural support such as fertiliser and seed.
In Nalitabari, they focused on the exclusion of marginalised people from fair treatment in public institutions, dissatisfaction with hospital services and the need for more youth employment and training opportunities.
In Sherpur Sadar, discussions centred on poor treatment in government hospitals and unequal access to facilities such as family cards, agriculture cards and other public services. In Nakla, participants pointed to discrimination in local governance, weak hospital services and a pattern of benefits going to the politically connected while vulnerable people were left behind.
Across Sherpur, the meetings showed that social audits were helping communities identify service gaps more clearly and engage authorities in a more organised way. Participants said these processes had strengthened awareness, encouraged evidence-based discussion and given citizens more confidence to speak up.
The meetings also reflected active participation by women, young people and marginalised citizens. Their presence reinforced the programme’s goal of ensuring that those most affected by inequality and service failures were included in shaping local priorities.
Taken together, the four quarterly meetings in Jhinaigati, Nalitabari, Nakla and Sherpur Sadar showed that citizen groups in Sherpur were doing more than sharing concerns. They were pressing for fairer healthcare, better services and more accountable local governance.
