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Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Call to change political culture

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Country's political culture needs a change to ensure the rights of indigenous people, said Deputy Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Mani Swapan Dewan yesterday.
He was speaking at the publication ceremony of a book titled 'Tribal Peoples, Nationalism and Human Rights Challenge: The Adivasis of Bangladesh' by Tone Bleie at the YWCAAuditorium in the city.
Swapan said present political culture is not suitable for the welfare of the indigenous people, but repression on the weak takes place all over the world, and Bangladesh is not an exception.
However, this is the appropriate time for the indigenous people to be united and take rational decisions, he said, adding that the indigenous
leaders also need to admit their previous faults and go for better leadership.
The deputy minister said the United Nations could play an important role to organise a discussion on the indigenous peoples of South East Asian countries.
Parshuram Tamang, a representative of UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, highlighted the resolutions of the recently held meeting of the forum.
He said the meeting decided to protect the multi-ethnic culture in every country by initiating primary education through mother language.
Counsellor of the Royal Norwegian Embassy Hans Peter Melby said ensuring the rights of minorities is the part of a democratic society.
Published by the University Press Limited, the book is a valuable docu-
ment on the indigenous peoples of the country.
It narrates how the indigenous people have been deprived of their due recognition although they were the earliest inhabitants of Bengal and played significant role in all national movements.
The book also tells about the needs of the indigenous people, their increasing discrimination, lack of security, forced migration and dilemma in their livelihood.
Chakma Circle Chief Raja Devashish Roy, General Secretary of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Front Sanjeeb Drong, Prof Dalem Chandra Barman, Prof Mesbah Kamal, Prof Ishrat Shamim, Prof HKS Arefeen and Chandra Roy of UNDP Regional office of Bangkok also spoke on the occasion.