The day's programme began with a huge rally where participants carried yellow and red coloured umbrellas inscribed with 13 slogans.

The programme aims at creating awareness to eliminate 13 types of crimes and social ills in Lalmonirhat, such as drug use and peddling, extortion, copying in public examination, dowry, early marriage, women and child repression, smuggling, polygamy and use of polythene shopping bags.

The rally started early in the morning from Abul Kashem College premises in Borobari union in Sader upazila and ended at Mission Square in Lalmonirhat town. The participants paraded about 15 kilometres to create awareness to attain the 13 objectives.

Deputy Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation Asadul Habib Dulu, chief advisor of the programme, led the rally.

The programme was launched on January 1, 2003.

Under the programme, about 20,000 people who were earlier involved with the 13 types of crimes and wrongdoing, have so far been brought to normal life and rehabilitated, the organisers told this correspondent during the rally.

Talking to newsmen at the end of the rally at Mission Square, Dulu said the Enlightened Lalmonirhat porgramme has brought some positive changes among the participants. It is completely a non-political programme he said and hoped it will continue whether BNP remains in power or not.

He said mere enforcement of law can not remove crimes and social ills. A great social awareness is needed, he added.

The programme attained some success in two years, he said. People who were involved in the crimes were given Tk 5000 to 10,000 under a loan programme for their rehabilitation, Dulu said.