Indigenous Peoples Forum: “Dhaka government deaf to our demands”

During the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, some Christian leaders denounced exclusion and discrimination and renewed a series of demands to the government, including constitutional recognition, implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord and the establishment of a land commission.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Indigenous communities in Bangladesh continue to face a future marked by uncertainty and fear. This was denounced by leaders of the Indigenous Peoples' Forum of Bangladesh, who gathered on 9 August at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka to celebrate the International Day of Indigenous Peoples.

Despite the presence of some human rights activists in the interim government, their voices remain largely unheard in crucial decisions, the organisation denounced.

The meeting was chaired by Ajay A. Mree, Catholic vice-president of the Forum. During the event, speakers called on the government to recognise indigenous peoples in the constitution, to fully implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord and to establish a commission and a ministry for land.

‘If an indigenous person is saddened, if his land is taken away, if his women are humiliated... then the country should feel pain and shame,’ said Sanjeeb Drong, a Catholic and secretary general of the Forum, adding that he dreams of a Bangladesh that shares this pain.

Many indigenous people are forced to migrate due to constant oppression, deprivation and discrimination. Drong stressed the importance of Indigenous Peoples' Day, criticising the fact that these communities remain neglected in Bangladesh: the country has not observed the day at national level for 30 years.

He also pointed out that indigenous communities are disappearing in many countries and their existence is threatened. Around the world, however, organisations and individuals are using modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, to fight for indigenous land rights and survival. These efforts, Drong added, inspire the local struggle in Bangladesh.

Despite the existence of various commissions in the country, no commission has yet been established to protect the land rights of indigenous peoples. Kajal Debnath, a member of the Council for the Unity of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians in Bangladesh, criticised the government's reform process, calling it ‘deeply regrettable’ that 10% of the population, made up of religious and ethnic minorities, is excluded from national reforms.

Human rights activist Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori, condemned the state's refusal to recognise indigenous identity. ‘The state continues to falsely claim that there are no indigenous peoples in Bangladesh,’ she said, adding that due to ‘a lack of political will, constitutional recognition remains unattainable and the state continues to deny their existence.’

Manindra Kumar Nath, interim secretary general of the Council for Unity, said that in Bangladesh even the term ‘indigenous’ is taboo. From the Chittagong Hills to Gaibandha, indigenous and religious minorities face relentless persecution, which he attributed to the state's sectarian mindset.

There are about 50 indigenous communities living in Bangladesh, totalling about 4 million people. Many belong to religious minorities, with a significant number of Christians.

• Bangladesh
• indigenous people