A mass gathering arranged by Bangladesh Adivasi Forum on Friday demanded giving constitutional recognition to indigenous peoples, the swift arrest and prosecution of those involved in the brutal attack on indigenous students, citizens, and rights activists in front of NCTB, and the reinstatement of graffiti and text containing the word “Adivasi” in textbooks.
Speakers condemned the removal of the graffiti from NCTB textbooks and the attacks on indigenous people protesting against it on January 15.
Indigenous people and leaders from all over the country, along with leftist leaders, writers, intellectuals, and international organization executives were present in this gathering at Central Shaheed Minar, on Friday, around 3pm, and expressed their solidarity.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, expressed solidarity with the demands made by Bangladesh Adivasi Forum.
He said: “The indigenous people’s rights movement is not only their movement, but it is the movement of each and every people of Bangladesh.”
"We have to take the movement there," he added.
Abu Sayeed Khan, the consulting editor of Daily Samakal, said: “In the recent uprising, Bengalis and indigenous people fought together, and there was talk of an inclusive society then.”
He added: “Everyone was supposed to work together, but that momentum seems to have stopped.”
"What happened on January 15, was unfortunate. Indigenous people have been attacked twice - once by terrorists and once by the police," he said.
Calling for all victims of attacks standing together in one procession, he cited the attacks on indigenous people, various shrines and Sufi-Baul sites, and women.
"Female celebrities cannot attend various events. Women in Joypurhat and Dinajpur cannot play football. That's why everyone needs to stand together in one procession," he further said.
Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, expressed frustration saying: “The anti-discrimination government was formed to establish justice, but we are seeing the opposite happening.”
Questioning the interim government's capability, she said: “Why those who were seen directly involved in the attacks are not being arrested?”
"The previous autocratic government forbade us from calling indigenous people indigenous - will this government do the same? Why did NCTB erase graffiti from textbooks at the demand of one group?" she further questioned.
Supreme Court advocate Nicholas Chakma said that they want to see the action of the interim government with indigenous people. He also questioned the goals and motives of the interim government on indigenous people.
Writer Pavel Partha said: “The aspirations of Bangladesh's people were reflected on the walls through graffiti. Removing and replacing the wall graffiti is betraying the July mass uprising.”
"I condemn such behavior by NCTB. They are showing authority and bravado like the previous regime," he added.
Speakers also argue that the word “Adivasi” doesn't necessarily mean “Aborigines”, and placed several other demands—
The political, social, economic, cultural, and land rights of indigenous peoples should be ensured, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord must be implemented with a clear, time-bound roadmap, and a separate ministry and land commission should be established for indigenous peoples in plain land areas.
Projects such as eco-parks, social forestry, eco-tourism, EPZ, or any other projects not be established on indigenous lands without their prior consent, and the Sahebganj-Bagda farm land be returned to its original local owners, stopping all oppression and persecution of indigenous peoples, and all false cases against them be withdrawn immediately.
The UN General Assembly Declaration on Indigenous Peoples, ILO Convention 169, and ILO Convention 107 should be implemented. Special seats must be reserved for indigenous peoples in the National Parliament, and designated seats should be allocated for them in local government council elections in indigenous-populated areas.
Necessary steps should be taken to ensure fair wages and improve the living standards of all tea workers, including indigenous peoples working in tea gardens. Additionally, 5% of quotas should be reserved for indigenous peoples in first-class government jobs and in the country's higher education institutions.
At 6pm, Democratic Rights Committee came to Shaheed Minar with a rally to express “solidarity” with the indigenous people's cause.
