Indigenous people in Rangpur on Wednesday laid siege to the district deputy commissioner’s (DC) office to press home their five-point demands, which include official recognition of their population and formation of a separate ministry for the community.
The other demands include ensuring stern punishment for those responsible for the deaths of two indigenous Santal farmers over the supply of irrigation water.
The speakers complained that the government had yet to give official recognition to indigenous people in the country regardless of promises made to this end on various occasions.
They stressed the need for the formation of a separate ministry for them and alleged that the rapists of an indigenous girl were out on bail and issuing threats to the victim’s family.
They sought the intervention of the authorities in the matter.
Several hundred indigenous men and women gathered in the Shapla Chattar area in the morning and brought out a procession. They later held a rally to press home their demands and cordoned off the DC office.
Bimal Khalko, Adibashi Parishad’s Rangpur district convener, and Monilal Das, former president of the organization, among others, addressed the gathering.
