Bangladesh Adivasi Forum (BAF) has demanded that the state should celebrate the International Indigenous Day countrywide.
BAF President Shantu Larma came up with the demand at a press conference in the capital on Tuesday.
He made the demand saying as the country signed the Indigenous and Tribal Populations Convention-107 by International Labor Organisation (ILO), it should celebrate the day with state management.
At a press conference Larma announced the week long program to celebrate the 20th International Indigenous Day on August 9.
The day, announced by the United Nations (UN), has been observed worldwide since 1993 with the slogan 'Indigenous Peoples: A New Partnership'.
The second decade is going to end this year with the slogan 'Bridging the Gap: Implementing the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.'
Larma, also the chairman of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS), informed that a high level plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples will be held from September 22 to 23.
The conference will be started with the aim of preparing a future plan and road map to work for the indigenous population rights.
Larma also said: “Although Bangladesh has signed the ILO Convention-107, any government has not come forward to establish the indigenous people's rights according to the convention.”
Moreover, “At present the number of land grabbing and eviction, killing, rape, abduction and attack on the indigenous people are increasing day by day in different parts of the country,” he added.
To bring those issues in front of the people of the country and also to the world. This year the indigenous people of the country will unitedly celebrate the day with a week long program that will include various discussions, assemblages, seminars, cultural programmes and so on, he said.
The main program will be held on August 9 which is set to start with a procession, cultural program at the Central Shaheed Minar.
Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon and National Human Rights Chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman will be present at the occasion.
The week long program will start from August 6 and will be continued till August 14 in Dhaka.
Several programs will be held in different districts across the country to mark the day.