Anti-Discrimination Student Movement activists announced a protest in response to a clash on Wednesday between two opposing groups over the inclusion of the term “Adivasi" in national textbooks.
The incident occurred in front of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) building in Motijheel, Dhaka, resulting in several injuries, including journalists and women.
The conflict erupted during a protest organized by “Students for Sovereignty,” which demanded punishment for those involved in the inclusion of the word “Adivasi" in textbooks, alongside other political demands related to the portrayal of historical events.
In a separate protest, the group “Disgruntled Indigenous Students and Public” called for the restoration of the term in textbooks, which had become a point of contention.
The Jatiya Nagorik Committee condemned the attack, while the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which also participated in the protests, strongly denounced the assault on their central executive member, Rupaiya Shrestha Tonchongya, and other students involved in the demonstrations.
The movement issued a statement demanding the arrest of those responsible for both the violence and the attempts to fuel ethnic divisions.
