The ethnic communities are mostly underprivileged and are often neglected in mainstream development and poverty alleviation programmes, they said and called for ensuring their access to development tools and technologies so that they can use the resources for productive purposes.

World Fish centre (Bangladesh and South Asia Office), Bangladesh Fisheries Research Forum (BFRF) and Caritas jointly organised the inception workshop on 'Fisheries and aquaculture enterprise development project for the Adivasi community in the northern and northwestern region of Bangladesh' in the city.

The European Commission is funding the three-year project.

Speaking as the chief guest, Syed Ataur Rahman, secretary to the ministry of fisheries and livestock, said catching fish from wetlands has been part of the culture of ethnic communities in the country.

Since opportunities to gather food are diminishing, new approaches must be woven into the traditional and culture of Adivasi lifestyle to ensure food security, he added.

Stefan Frowein, ambassador and head of the delegation of European Commission, said, "Though Bangladesh has made commendable progress in food production and in reducing food insecurity, a large number of people are still considered as ultra poor as they consume less than 1800 calories per day."

"Because of the socio-economic complexity and the prevailing levels of extreme poverty, ethnic communities have often been considered a group associated with a considerable risk in development cooperation," he observed.

For tribal communities, specific tailor-made development approaches are needed to overcome poverty, he added.

The present fisheries and aquaculture enterprise development project particularly targets ethnic communities with the aim to promote widespread adoption of appropriate aquaculture and fisheries management practices in order to improve both income as well as household food security, Frowein said.

Alan Brooks, regional portfolio director, World Fish Centre, Dr M Abdul Wahab, president of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Forum, Dr Anwara Bugum Shelly, director, Fisheries Programme, Caritas, Dr Binoy Kumar Barman, coordinator, World Fish centre, and Nazrul Islam, director general, Department of Fisheries, also spoke.