The laudable job was make possible after 10 years of sincere efforts by the Union Federation (UF), an independent beneficiary group of the Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS).

This was learnt from a meeting organised to exchange opinion with local journalists titled Role of Journalists in Developing Rural Mass at the RDRS auditorium here recently.

Funded by the European Union (EU), the UF launched a massive campaign against dowry, early marriage, illegal divorce, child labour, AIDS and other social issues. The campaign was launched through different motivational activities under the Federation Capacity Building and Social Mobilisation Project.

A case was filed against an Imam, a Muslim priest, who illegally solemnised the marriage ceremonies of a few teenage couples, according to Abu Obaid, President of the UF, West Chhatnai village in Dimla upazila,.

The Senior Programme Manager (Social Empowerment) of the RDRS, Nilphamari informed that they had targeted seven more villages in Jaldhaka upazila to eliminate early marriage within a short period.

While assuring their all-out cooperation, journalists hoped that the RDRS would be more active against all social curses.

The meeting was presided over by Liaquat Ali Khan, Senior Programme Manager of the RDRS, while it was addressed by Liaison Officer Mohammad Nurun Nabi, Development Officer Asafa Selim and local journalists.