The Cox's Bazar CSO NGO Forum (CCNF), a network of 60 local and national NGOs operating in Cox's Bazar, on Saturday strongly condemned and protested the recent assault on six workers, including two women  of an NGO in Teknaf.   The organization also demanded exemplary punishment for those involved in the incident and said that if proper action is not taken within the next seven days, no CCNF member in Teknaf's Hnila Union will implement any activities.  The demand came  from a virtual press conference organized by the CCNF. It was moderated by Abu Murshed Chowdhury, Co-Chair of the CCNF and Executive Director of PHALS.  The CCNF also urged all other local, national, and international non-governmental organizations to support the demand. YPSA Executive Director Md. Arifur Rahman, two female victims, Joint Director of COAST Ferdous Ara Rumee and Tahrima Afroz Tumpa, Project Manager of the same organization also spoke at the occasion.   The COAST Foundation's Executive Director, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, gave the closing remarks.  Explaining the incident,  CCNF Member Secretary Jahangir Alam said that miscreants allegedly led by a union council member in Hnila Jele para of Teknaf conducted the attacks on On February 2. COAST has been implementing various programs for the disadvantaged people of this area for a long time.   The terrorists, led by Rezaul Karim, a member of Ward 5 of Hnila Union, attacked the NGO workers while they were holding a courtyard meeting with the beneficiaries of a project to gather their views, he said.   During the meeting, the NGO workers were verbally abused and asked to leave the area. NGO workers tried to persuade their work, but the Union Councill member ignored the requests and attacked the NGO workers.   At one point, the attackers randomly punched and kicked everyone. At their screams, the people around them came and rescued them and took them to a house and sheltered them. The injured NGO workers filed a case at Teknaf police station.  Ferdous Ara Rumee said the incident poses a serious threat to hundreds of women workers in Cox's Bazar. READ: Institutions, students hit by Rohingya influx need rehabilitation: CCNF Tahrima Afroz Tumpa said, this kind of attack on women is unimaginably disgusting. “I want justice for it,”: she added.  Arifur Rahman said, "We want a speedy legal remedy for this incident. I think it is a planned attack to disrupt the government's development activities for the common people of Teknaf-Ukhia as part of the Rohingya program. Because NGOs are working for the poor as allies of the government, he said.  Abu Murshed Chowdhury said hundreds of NGO workers in Cox's Bazar are working day and night to provide various services to the people. Such nasty attacks on them are unwelcome. This is not an attack on the staff of a single NGO, it is an attack on the entire NGO sector. “We demand justice from the administration. If no action is taken within the next seven days, all CCNF member organizations will withdraw their activities from Hnila Union.”  Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said NGO and civil society workers work for poverty alleviation, an increase of income, expansion of education in backward areas, development of women. The NGO workers are attacked by those who do not want the development of the people, those who do not want the development of women, those who do not want the spread of education, he said. READ: CCNF demands dignified repatriation of Rohingyas He said they don't want people to be aware. Because, when people are educated and aware, it becomes a threat to the illegal activities of that vested group.Failure to ensure exemplary justice for the attacks on COAST workers would leave hundreds of women workers vulnerable to work on the ground and could jeopardize all development programs, including the Rohingya program, Rezaul adedd. 

Brac International is relocating its Bangladeshi staff from Afghanistan to ensure their safety and security amid fears that the Taliban will roll back two decades of gains by women and ethnic minorities while restricting the work of journalists and NGO workers. Around 3,000 Brac staff work across ten provinces of the landlocked South Asian country. Of them, 14 expatriates including 12 Bangladeshis are being returned to their countries as panic takes hold in Afghanistan, according to the INGO. Read: Canada joins hands with Brac to support vulnerable people Five of them, including three Bangladeshis, were already on leave outside Afghanistan and have been asked not to return. Three of the remaining nine Bangladeshis left Afghanistan Friday and others are scheduled to leave by August 22. Brac has taken steps to ensure the highest security of its staff in the face of growing violence in Afghanistan since the start of the formal withdrawal of international troops, according to Brac International Executive Director Shameran Abed. Read: BRAC partners with govt’s Covid-19 vaccination drive The organisation has been working in Afghanistan for more than 19 years, providing services including education, healthcare, community development, Covid-19 related support, humanitarian and food security assistance. In the past, several Brac staff were abducted in Afghanistan and were released after negotiations. Afghans watch with growing fear as the Taliban overrun most of the country while international forces withdraw. Read:One-third of female employed youths jobless as impact of Covid-19: BRAC Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani flew out of the country Sunday, joining thousands of his fellow citizens and foreigners in a stampede fleeing the advancing Taliban and "signalling the end of a 20-year Western experiment aimed at remaking the country." Meanwhile, officials said Bangladesh is keeping close tabs on the fast-changing situation in Afghanistan.