Ethnic communities yesterday observed International Day of the World's Indigenous People with demand for their constitutional recognition as indigenous people and government steps for ensuring their rights, especially on land.
Leaders of different ethnic communities in Rangamati yesterday urged the government to ensure political, economic and social rights of indigenous people, reports our Rangamati correspondent.
They criticised the foreign minister for her statement that there are no indigenous people in Bangladesh and blamed the government for failure to solve land dispute in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
Many indigenous families were evicted from their ancestral land and homesteads as the outsider Bangali settlers grabbed their lands, and the trend is still going on in the hills, indigenous leaders said at a discussion on the premises of Rangamati Municipality office.
Renowned civil society leader Binoy Kumar Dewan addressed as chief guest at the meeting presided over by Prakriti Ranjan Chakma, president of CHT unit of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum.
Our Khagrachhari correspondent reports: Marking International Day of the World's Indigenous People, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) yesterday formed a human chain in front of Khagrachhari Press Club with the banner "We want to get constitutional recognition as indigenous people, not ethnic minority".
Later, at a rally organised by the party at Khagrapur Community Centre in the district town, speakers demanded annulment of the 15th amendment to the constitution and full implementation of the CHT Peace Accord.
Bangladesh Adivasi Forum Khagrachhari district unit brought out a procession in the district town and arranged a rally at Khagrachhari Mukta Mancha.
Democratic Youth Forum, a front organisation of United Peoples Democratic Front, an anti-CHT Peace Treaty organisation, brought out a procession in Khagrachhari town and held a rally held at Shanirbar Bazar area marking the day.
Our Thakurgaon Correspondent adds: Thakurgaon unit of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad yesterday organised several programmes with the assistance of Eco-Social Development Organisation, RDRS Bangladesh, Sharp and Karitas in observance of International Day of the World's Indigenous People.
After a colourful procession that paraded different streets of the town, they formed a human chain in front of DC office.
Later at a discussion, the speakers demanded realisation of their nine-point demand including establishing constitutional rights of indigenous people and formation of a separate land commission to protect land rights of the indigenous people living on plan lands.
Our RU Correspondent adds: Ethnic minority students of Rajshahi University (RU) yesterday arranged a day-long photo exhibition on the campus marking International Day of the World's Indigenous People.
Prof Golam Sabbir Sattar, student adviser of the university, inaugurated the photo exhibition arranged by the students under the banner of Adivasi Students Association of Rajshahi University, an organisation of ethnic minority students of plain land, on the premises of the central library of the university.
A total of 150 rare photographs on the life and tradition of the ethnic minority people were put on display at the exhibition.
Source : The Daily Star
