Many Barman and Koch families have allegedly been left out of a Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) survey on the socio-economic conditions and poverty of ethnic minority communities, despite being recognised in the government’s list of ethnic minority communities. The complaints raise questions about how that recognition is being applied during field-level data collection.
Community members from Thakurgaon and Panchagarh say they have faced inconsistent identity-verification requirements, with some families asked to produce certificates from the district administration to establish their ethnic identity.
In some cases, even when one family member holds a certificate and is included in the survey, their parents and siblings have been excluded. Others allege that Barmans holding certificates were recorded as “Bengali Barman Sanatan”.
Complaints have also emerged that Koch families in parts of Thakurgaon were excluded despite presenting certificates issued by the Tribal Welfare Association. Community members say they are unaware of any instruction requiring Koch people to produce such documents.
‘Does a certificate alone determine our identity?’
Anup Chandra Barman, a student at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University from Atwari upazila of Panchagarh, told Dhaka Tribune that only he was included in the survey from his four-member family, while his parents and sister were left out.
“The enumerator said only those with a certificate could be included in the survey. I asked him: if I am an ethnic minority member, does that mean my father, mother and sister are not? They also identify themselves as members of the community. Does having a certificate alone determine our identity?” he said.
Enumerator Bisu Kisku said he had followed instructions from higher authorities and entered the Barmans he surveyed as “Bengali Barman Sanatan” in the comments section.
According to Anup, Kisku had included around 100 people from more than 90 families, but the community remained uncertain about how many of the households had ultimately been recorded.
A similar experience was reported by Pritilata Rani, a student at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, whose family lives in Ruhia upazila of Thakurgaon. She told Dhaka Tribune that she contacted survey enumerator Sujan Pahan and was included, but her father, mother and sister were excluded because they did not have certificates from the district administration.
She said one member of the family was recognised as an ethnic minority for the survey while the other three were not, despite sharing the same family and community identity. She urged the authorities to consider their family and ethnic identity and ensure that all members were included.
Gazette-listed, yet certificate required
The government recognised 50 ethnic minority communities through a gazette notification in 2019. The revised gazette, published on March 19 that year under the Small Ethnic Groups Cultural Institutions Act, 2010, lists Barman at serial number 15. The survey manual also lists the Barman and Koch communities separately.
The 2022 Population and Housing Census recorded 44,657 people as Barman and 13,702 as Koch in Bangladesh.
However, disagreements persist over the identity of some Barmans. While some identify themselves as Bengali or Kshatriya Barman, others assert a distinct ethnic minority identity. Community representatives say these differences have complicated their inclusion in the survey.
Sukanta Barman, a member of the Barman community in Thakurgaon, alleged that enumerators had been reluctant to collect information from Barman families. “Now we are in a deep hassle,” he said. “If anyone doesn’t want to be included, it’s fine, but if someone wants to be included in the survey, why can’t they?”
He said many community members had volunteered information on more than 90 families to enumerators, but the community did not know what had ultimately been entered into the survey tablets. Sukanta added that Koch families in the district had also been left out despite showing certificates issued by the Tribal Welfare Association.
“We want to be included in the survey, but someone or another does not want that. One obstacle after another is being created,” he said.
Researchers, however, said the issue needed to be understood in its historical context. Younger members of some families were reconnecting with their ancestral identity, they said, and urged that internal disagreements among organisations should not undermine government recognition.
Certificate-holders allegedly recorded as ‘Bengali’
Joba Rani Barman of Panchagarh said she had a certificate from the deputy commissioner but was recorded in the survey as “Bengali Barman Sanatan”.
Md Enamul Haque, deputy director of the Panchagarh District Statistics Office, said certificates from deputy commissioners had been sought to distinguish ethnic minority Barmans from Bengali Barmans. Some people had consequently been recorded as “Bengali Barman Sanatan”, he said.
Md Shafiqul Islam, joint director of the Rangpur Divisional Statistics Office, said officials assessed identity based on language, culture, traditions and other characteristics where certificates were unavailable. “Those identifying themselves as Bengali or Kshatriya Barman were not included as members of the ethnic minority community,” he said.
However, Md Faisal Hasan, acting deputy director of the Thakurgaon District Statistics Office, said Barmans holding certificates from the deputy commissioner had been included as ethnic minority members in his district.
The differing accounts have raised questions over whether the same identity-verification process was followed across districts.
BBS says complaints under review
Community members have also questioned the absence of Barman enumerators in the northern region, despite the survey plan’s stated intention to involve young students from ethnic minority communities in data collection. Thakurgaon district officials have said enumerator lists were prepared in consultation with local organisations and the administration.
Dinbandhu Barman, president of the Bangladesh Koch-Rajbanshi-Barman Organisation, said many Barman and Koch families had remained outside the survey. He said he had sought an extension of one week or more after the deadline was extended to October 30.
Farhana Sultana, project director of the survey and deputy director of the BBS’s PLS Cell, told Dhaka Tribune that although the programme was scheduled to end on October 30, information was still being collected from people who contacted the authorities.
“There have been some problems with verification. In such cases, we have to verify the information. We are also including those who have certificates from the district administration,” she said.
She said the certificate requirement had received particular attention in the case of Barmans because of disputes over identity within the community, unlike some other ethnic communities.
“Complaints are being reviewed,” Sultana said. People excluded due to errors involving surnames or national identity cards could apply through the deputy commissioner’s office, she said. “If their ancestors were identified as members of an ethnic minority community, their inclusion could be recommended.”
BBS Secretary Md Firoz Sarkar said complaints from Thakurgaon and Panchagarh would be examined after hearing the parties concerned.
The survey, titled “Survey on the Socio-economic Conditions and Poverty Situation of Ethnic Minority Communities 2026”, began on October 1 and was initially scheduled to continue until October 25. The deadline was later extended to October 30.
