The network would provide a forum for exchange of experiences, learning from each other and for undertaking research and joint initiatives to address the emerging needs with passage of time and for setting standards, they added.

The speakers said this in the opening session of a two-day consultation meeting organised by Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) with assistance from South Asia Regional Initiative/Equity Support Programme (SARIQ) in the Mission Bhaban Auditorium in the city.

Senior executives of 18 Government and non-government organisations of Bangladesh and West Bengal are attending the meeting.

The speakers also underscored the necessity of developing a national resource group/centre for mental health care and also said the network can be extended across the boarder of Bangladesh and West Bengal and Tripura at the first instance and gradually to sub-regional and regional levels.

Deputy Executive Director of DAM, M Ehsanur Rahman, presided over the session while Chairman, Department of Clinical Psychology, Dhaka University Prof Dr Mahmudur Rahman presented the background and purposes of the meeting.

Advocate Shirin Nahar, Programme Manager, DAM SARIQ project, Topon Kumar and Pinaki De, Programme Manager and Coordinator respectively of Don Bosco Ashalayam and Smita Sen, Assistant Coordinator of Praajak of West Bengal were present in the session.

Shafiqul Islam, Director of the Programmes Division of the organisation acted as the facilitator.

DAM has developed a training guide book for mental health care support providers based on the findings of a research work conducted in a number of shelter homes and drop-in centres of Bangladesh and West Bengal and also provided training to 35 counsellors using the said guide book.

The consultation meeting will come up with a framework of the network and guidelines for establishment of the resource group, it is expected.