Bangladesh's ethnic minorities demand recognition of rights

Artistes perform dace at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Saturday, 
celebrating International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. — New Age photo

CHT News/ Borapansury: The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was observed across the country on Saturday.
Different socio-cultural and political organisations and groups organised discussions, rallies and processions on this year’s theme ‘Bridging the gap: implementing the rights of indigenous peoples’.
In the capital, the National Human Rights Commission chairman Mizanur Rahman inaugurated the celebrations at Central Shaheed Minar in the morning.
Inaugurating the programme, the NHRC chair said ‘we have to integrate indigenous people (people from ethnic minority communities) if we want to build Bangladesh in the spirit of the independence war. They can no longer remain deprived.’
‘Now, when the United Nations are calling them (ethnic minorities) indigenous people, we hesitate to call them indigenous. This is a clear violation of international law,’ he said.
Chittagong Hill Tracts regional council chairman Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, also the president of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti, Dhaka University vice-chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique, Canadian high commissioner in Dhaka Heather Cruden, Danish ambassador Hanne Fugl Eskjær, UNDP Bangladesh country director Pauline Tamesis, Communist Party of Bangladesh president Mujahidul Islam Selim, actor Mamunur Rashid, among others, spoke at the programme.
The minister for civil aviation and tourism, Rashed Khan Menon, attended the function as chief guest.
In Tangail, the day was observed in Madhupur upazila with a demand for constitutional recognition of the rights of land of ethnic minority communities.
Over 1,200 members of Mandi community, including women and children from Madhupur Garh region under Tangail and Mymensingh districts, joined a procession wearing traditional costumes.
Tangail-1 constituency lawmaker Abdur Razzak inaugurated the procession.
A cultural programme and discussion was also held at the Jalsatro Corpus Christinary High School auditorium in Madhupur upazila.
In Khagrachari, members of the ethnic minority community brought out a procession and held a rally at the district headquarters.
In the rally, community leaders demanded the government immediately implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts peace accord signed in December 2, 1997.
In Moulvibazar, ethnic minority community leaders urged the government to take steps to stop dispossession of land belonging to them.
Greater Sylhet Adivasi Forum brought out a colourful rally from Catholic Mission area in Moulvibazar town and paraded different roads. The rally ended at the local Central Shaheed Minar.
‘We face regular attempts of eviction, oppression and other problems all year round,’ alleged Gidison Prodhan Suchiang, the headman of Magurchhara Khasi Punji in Kamalganj upazila.
Around 10,000 people from Khasi and Garo community live in different hilly areas of different upazilas in Moulvibazar district.

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