Remarkable Accomplishments Remarkable Accomplishments of CUP

Through carrying out dialogue with various stakeholders, CUP has succeeded in playing a major role in the formulation of favorable policies with respect to the supply of pure water and electricity to the slums. CUP was also successful in its campaign to achieve the voting rights of the slum dwellers before the mayoral election of 1994 and during the preparation of the latest voter list in 2000. In addition, CUP has played a significant role in the preparation of the National Housing Policy of 1993. During the flood of 1998, CUP, through its member NGOs, supplied 1,60,000 litters of pure drinking water to 137 slums. Recently it has initiated an advocacy campaign to build up awareness about voter registration on 9th Parliamentary Election 2009

CUP has arranged a number of workshops in collaboration with other NGOs relating to the habitat rights of the slum dwellers. CUP and ADAB organized a South Asian workshop entitled “Settlement of the Urban Poor: Challenges in the New Millennium” in February 2000. During the last few years CUP has been successful in resisting a number slum eviction drives of the government. The notable achievement of CUP in this regard was made in August,1999 when it, in association with Ain-O-Shalish Kendra, BLAST, Trinamul Janasangthatan, ADAB and renowned lawyer Dr. Kamal Hossain halted the indiscriminate eviction of slums. Finally, CUP has played an important role in capacity building and linkage development.

Policy advocacy initiatives for re-settlement of the urban poor over the last few years are as follows:

November 1989: 

CUP was established by some leading national level urban, NGOs working for the empowerment of the urban poor.

December 1989: 

Successfully organized and launched a movement against the eviction of slums at Agargaon area of Dhaka city

Through 1992-93: 

CUP organized several policy advocacy meetings / seminars/ workshops/ press conferences etc. for raising awareness and motivating the government the initiate a National Housing Policy, especially to establish the Habitat Rights of the urban poor of Bangladesh, which resulted in the formulation of National Housing Policy Act 1993.

Through 1994:

  1. Initiated a Voter Education Campaigning Programme prior to holding the DCC mayoral election to motivate the slum dwellers of Dhaka city to exercise their voting rights properly.
  2. A writ petition to the Supreme Court of Bangladesh against slum eviction initiated by the House Building Research Institute Mirpur, Dhaka was filed with assistance from the renowned & international reputed lawyer Dr. Kamal Hossain.

Through 1997: 

The Basantek slum eviction was stopped by the Government. due to a mass movement launched by the poor slum dwellers under the guidance of CUP and intensive policy advocacy was carried out by CUP along with ADAB and other national / international organizations.

Through 1999:

  1. CUP submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister of Bangladesh making appeals for not evicting slums without initiating rehabilitation programmes.
  2. A mass movement against slum eviction was launched under the guidance of CUP.
  3. A writ petition was filed in the High Court against slum eviction initiated by the Home Ministry of Bangladesh Government with the active support of Dr. Kamal Hossain and Barrister Amirul Islam, the two renowned lawyers of the country a move which resulted in a verdict of the High Court in fabour of the slum dwellers.
  4. National and international linkages are being developed with appropriate organizations as well as individuals who are concerned with the urban poor.

Through 2000:

  1. A Regional Workshop on re-settlement of the urban poor was organized by CUP which was participated in 8 countries of South and South East Asia.
  2. A rally was organized and memorandum submitted to the Election Commission for enhancing and establishing the voter rights of urban slum dwellers in Dhaka city following which the slum dwellers of Dhaka got the rights to have their names enlisted as valid voters of Dhaka City Corporation area.
  3. An international fact-finding team (ACHR-COHRE) visited Bangladesh because of CUP’s linkage with them. The visit was coordinated by CUP.
  4. The recommendations of the regional workshop were forwarded to the Honorable Prime Minister of the country through the Government and Non-Government Coordinating Council (GNCC) and NGO Affairs Bureau.
  5. A rally, press conference, human chain, token hunger strike, discussion meetings etc. Were organized by CUP for ensuring the proper habitation / re-habilitation of the Urban Poor.
  6. CUP participated in the participatory Technical Assistance (PPTA) for Urban Poverty Reduction Project (UPRP) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
  7. CUP participated in the Country Assistant Strategy Formulation Process (CAS) of the World Bank.

Through 2001:

  1. CUP coordinated and actively participated in the National Grand Rally of Aikka Badha Nagorik Andolan (United Peoples Movement) on 03 February, 2001 about 600,000 people participated in the programme.
  2. Pre-election Campaign for good governance in the banner of Aikkabaddha Nagorik Andolan.
  3. Protest Rally, Press Conference and memorandum submitted to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh for safe and proper rehabilitation of the urban poor of Bangladesh on March 28, 2001

Through 2002 – 2004:

  1. Helped form nearly 300 Primary Committees of Slum Dwellers in Dhaka City only.
  2. Promoted exchange of information, facilities and expertise between and among members helping the urban Supported poor.
  3. Strengthened inter- agency, sectoral collaborations as well as collaboration with the Government.
  4. Various NGOs working at the field level to help the urban poor, especially women and children.
  5. Developed working relations with government organizations, which should provide civic facilities for the urban people.
  6. Moved through the demands for housing and other civic rights and facilities for urban poor are achieved.
  7. Continued dialogue with Donor Organizations to mobilize support to the developed process in the country, Urban Research Organizations and advocacy with DESA, Rajuk, City Corporation, Housing & Settlement Department etc.
  8. Provided considerable relief and rehabilitation support to the disaster affected victims with the help of International Donors and CUP General Members.
  9. Developed and maintained with media for expected cooperation to the efforts.
  10. Developed working relationship with regional and international Development organizations working in the same field and benefiting to strengthen program capacity.
  11. As a part of strengthening advocacy approach took leading part in forming Bangladesh Urban Round Table (BURT) as informal forum of Donors, I/NGO and bringing about appreciable achievements in order to the objective.

Through 2005 – 2006:

  1. Implemented significant number and volume of projects in the fields of WATSAN, Health and promoting proposals on Primary Education, Housing etc.
  2. Enhanced formation of Slum Dwellers Organization BOSC and brought the organization in a better strong footing with formation of complete structure from central to the primary level in the slums. Initiated the same approach to other divisional cities in the country.
  3. Through concerted efforts of CUP/BURT, having developed Position Paper on Urban Poverty and other related strategies so far got the urban poverty issue included in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper-PRSP as one of the priorities for development attentions. This has to generate other scopes for further development in order to the objective.

Through 2007 – 2008: 

  1. Successfully completed CUP/BURT project “Strengthening BURT Program for Pro Urban Poor Policy Level Advocacy” funded by CARE Bangladesh that was formally started in 2005 and completed in 2008.
  2. Successfully completed the project “Awareness program for Voter Registration in Dhaka city” for 9th Parliamentary Election with funding support and collaboration from Asia Foundation and Election Working Group (EWG).
  3. Successfully completed the “Tracer Study for the Squatters & Encroachers of the Drainage Canals in Dhaka City” under funding support and guidance of the World Bank & DWASA.
  4. Attended various pro urban poor meetings/seminars/ workshops etc, and took active part in urban poverty issue-based policy advocacy activities.
  5. As an outcome of our continued policy advocacy for due policy level attention to the major urban poverty issues including the housing, we have symbolically achieved an allotment of 5 acres of government owned land at Mirpur. This allotment is a part of total requirement of 120 acres of land for rehabilitation of slum dwellers (60,000) evicted by the Care Taker Government in early 2007.
  6. There are several stay orders from the Supreme Court continuing against eviction threats on various slums in Dhaka. Similarly, against a very recent threat against the Korail slum, the biggest slum in the country a writ petition was filed in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court on 04.12.2008 whereupon a Division Bench gave an order of stay against the eviction order of the respective departments of the Government.
  7. Representatives of CUP member organizations and BOSC have actively taken part in the National Grand Rally on International Anti-corruption day’08 organized by the Transparency International Bangladesh and Anti-Corruption of Bangladesh.
  8. CUP has signed ‘Amrao Manush’ project memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Concern Worldwide, 17th September 2008 and the project will run till 2013 February.
    ix) CUP has conducted a study supported by CAMPE, on the status of education facilities for the slum children which would be included in the Bangladesh report for presentation to the UN high profile meeting on MDGs
  9. As a result of continued sharing of views and recommendations from various parts of the Dhaka city, processed through holding nine workshops on ‘Urban Poverty Issues and Social Attention’ every year, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government responded favorably for first time. The Ministry has initiated a process for taking up joint projects with CUP for health and family welfare of the slum dwellers.

Besides noted achievements, as network of the development organizations CUP has played its due role through advocacy, lobbying and mobilization activities to the best of its capacity for helping attainment of relevant targets, goals or objectives of the other government and non-government organizations. Finally, we have achieved organizing the slum dwellers all over the country as BOSC with government registration.