Thousands of indigenous students on Wednesday staged a demonstration named “March for Identity” and rally in Khagrachari district town demanding the establishment of a democratic environment in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The demands include- the recognition of indigenous people's rights, immediate implementation of the Hill District Peace Accord and constitutional recognition of indigenous identities.
They also placed eight-point demand.
Organized under the banner of the Anti-Conflict and Discrimination Indigenous Students Movement, the "March for Identity" began on Wednesday morning from the field of Khagrachari Government College and proceeded through the main streets.
The procession ended at Chengy Square after passing through Shapla Chattar and the deputy commissioner's office.
During the rally, representatives from the movement stated that there was no democratic environment during the previous fascist government's rule across the country.
Murders and abductions occurred in broad daylight, and silencing people's voices became a daily occurrence, they added.
The situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts was even awful than in the rest of the country.
They criticized the authoritarian regime for perpetuating brotherly conflicts and destabilizing the hill region, accusing various government agencies, including the Hill Tracts Development Board and Hill District Council, of embezzling millions of taka.
They also demanded the reorganization of the district council through elections instead of selection, warning that students and the public would not remain passive if selections are made instead of elections.
The rally featured speeches by representatives of the movement, including Bipasha Chakma, Ripul Chakma, Keshing Marma, Pranay Chakma, Kripayen Tripura, and Futan Chakma, among others.
At the end of the rally, a memorandum outlining the eight-point demand was submitted to the chief adviser through the DC.