Go tough on grabbers of Adivasi's land

Grabbing of indigenous people's lands and their eviction from homes must be stopped with an iron hand and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) peace treaty of 1997 must be implemented fully, the parliamentary caucus on indigenous affairs demanded yesterday.

The committee also demanded recognition of indigenous communities as "Adivasi" by changing the constitution, creation of a separate land commission for plain land Adivasis, celebration of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on August 9 nationally, and formulation of an "Adivasi Rights Law".

The demands were raised at a discussion at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University.

The keynote speaker, Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum and technocrat member of the parliamentary caucus, urged the government to respect the indigenous people and be sensible to the rights of minorities including Adivasi so that they could also become a part of the development process of the country.

Prof Mesbah Kamal, coordinator of the parliamentary caucus, said around 500 labourers including Adivasis of some tea gardens in Habiganj recently alleged that they were going to be evicted from their land because of a plan to build a special economic zone in their land.

They get only Tk 69 daily and Tk 1,600-1,700 monthly, which is inhumane, he also noted. Necessary steps should be taken to free them from the misery, he added.

Mrinal Kanti Das MP, poet Kazi Rozi MP, Tipu Sultan MP, President of Sammilita Sangskritik Jote Golam Kuddus, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury MP, and Nazmul Haque Prodhan MP also spoke at the discussion while the caucus chief, Fazle Hossain Badsha, was in the chair.

Meanwhile, speakers at a discussion in Chittagong city yesterday said the indigenous people of the CHT were being evicted from their land as the government was not preserving their rights.

They also said rapes and sexual assaults on indigenous women were creating insecurity among the minority people.

The indigenous people are losing their land day by day due to land acquisition by different government and non-government organisations and business firms, they added.  

The discussion titled "Present Situation in Chittagong Hill Tracts" was organised by Gonotantrik Jubo Forum and Hill Women's Federation (HWF) at Chittagong Press Club.

Nirupa Chakma, president of the federation, chaired the programme.