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Housing project for indigenous people shelved, at last

Abdul Kader, back from Sirajganj
The district administration has finally cancelled a housing project for the indigenous people of village Madhinagar Jorpukur in Tarash upazila in the teeth of strong protest.
The indigenous minority comprising 23 families opposed the project fearing eviction and rehabilitation of people from other community.
Their protest climaxed with Chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma alias Shantu Larma, also president of Bangladesh Adibashi (indigenous people) Forum (BAF), and BAF General Secretary Sanjeeb Drong visiting the area and attending a rally on June 27. Eleven-party leader Pankaj Bhattacharya was also with them.
A delegation led by Shantu Larma met the deputy commissioner (DC) and asked him to implement the project with certain changes, as demanded by the indigenous families. But the DC explained his limitations about making the changes and cancelled the project.
The Tk 50 lakh project styled Madhinagar Jorapukur Abason Prokolpa was approved by the Prime Minister's Office and 60 tonnes of wheat out of 186 tonnes were already allocated for land filling. The allocation was based on reports given by Chairman of local union parishad M Wahiduzzaman and Project Implementation Officer M Ali 'without informing the indigenous community', sources said.
The project covering 6.56 acres envisaged some 50 barracks, a community centre, a pond, a mosque, a graveyard and a school.
General Secretary of the Project Implementation Committee Jahurul Islam started the project work on May 28 and allegedly felled about 1,500 trees including fruit
trees and saplings ignoring request of the indigenous families.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Tarash M Borhan Uddin Bhuiyan said the felling happened beyond his knowledge and expressed his regrets.
The DC, Ebadat Ali, said the affected will be compensated after proper assessment of the losses and action will be taken against persons responsible.
An affected woman, Anna Baro, 45, said, "I requested the project people and police to save my trees, my source of living. But they paid no heed to this and felled 200 fruit trees and 150 saplings, leaving only two fruit trees. They also covered my paddy field with earth."
The 23 families are now left with only two latrines as the rest were demolished during earth filling and operation of their bio-gas plants was also hampered due to this, other victims said.
President of Sirajganj District Adibashi Forum Rohini Kanto Ekka, 75, said "Our forefathers started living here in 1896. Most probably our chairman (of union parshad) misinformed the government. We think the government cannot go ahead with the project after knowing that we are living here."
An elderly indigenous villager said, "We don't want barracks to live in as we are habituated to living in earthen houses, which is consistent with our culture."
During his visit, Larma said, " The indigenous people are victims of repression and deprivation and they now have to be well organised to realise their rights."
He urged the district administration to ensure the rights of local indigenous people on their land and other things.
The 23 families have 6.56 acres of land with a pond on two acres.
The union parishad chairman could not contacted for his comment.