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Indigenous not ethnic minority
FROM PAGE 3
Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Section 107 of the ILO’s Indigenous and Tribal Populations Convention,” he demanded.
Due to this lack of recognition, this day is not observed with due significance in the country, Hossain added.
Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, popularly known as Santu Larma, urged the youths to organise and lead a tougher movement imbued with the spirit of political ideology and principle to reclaim their rights.
Emphaising the threats on the existence and identity of the indigenous communities, Larma called for organised efforts in this regard by upholding the political ideology.
Lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, mentioned that the CHT peace accord was signed after years of movement, hoping the long struggle of the indigenous people would end.
“After 26 years of its signing, the implementation of the treaty remains a myth,” he said, adding that indigenous people are treated in accordance with Ziaur Rahman’s assertion -- there are no indigenous people in the country.
Criticising the government for not observing the day, Lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha, president of Parliamentary Caucus on Indigenous Affairs, shared incidents of witnessing letters arrive from the secretariat, asking not to observe the day.
“The problem persists,” he said, demanding that the day be observed by the state. He also demanded a functioning Land Commission in CHT areas.
Echoing the demand for constitutional recognition, Mohammad Shah Alam, president of the Communist Party, said, “Provide them with constitutional recognition first and then fully implement the CHT peace accord.”
“If you cannot implement the treaty, why did you sign it? Had it been implemented fully, the crisis would have been resolved years ago,” he added.
Professor Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University pointed out that larger countries in the world acknowledge indigenous communities on the grounds of historical accounts of injustice against them, highlighting the authorities’ failure to do so.
“The youths of these communities need to understand the necessity of joining this movement and drive it forward until the demands are realised,” he added.
Indigenous communities are facing eviction threats due to development projects, expansion of tea gardens, razing of hills and sand extraction from rivers, said Sharif Jamil, former general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon.
“To address this repression, they have been waging a movement for years,” Jamil added.
Shamsul Huda, executive director of Association for Land Reform Development, asked the prime minister to provide constitutional recognition to indigenous people within the next three months before her parliament expires.
“The indigenous people are referred to as ‘ethnic minorities’ in the constitution, which is humiliating. Developed countries like Australia and New Zealand have recognised them as indigenous communities long ago. However, we have failed at this,” said Prof Sadeka Halim of Dhaka University.
The discussion was followed by a cultural programme and procession.