Indigenous Communities
Separate budgetary allocation urged
Politicians, indigenous leaders and rights activists yesterday demanded a separate budgetary allocation for the indigenous communities to uplift their socio-economic status.
Indigenous people, society's most disadvantaged group having very little access to education, sanitation and other facilities, also require more allocation in the Annual Development Programme (ADP), they said.
The demands were placed at a views exchange meeting, “Budget and Indigenous People”, organised by Research and Development Collective (RDC), supported by Oxfam, at Bangladesh National Museum in the capital.
Addressing as chief guest, State Minister for Cultural Affairs Promode Mankin stressed the continuation of discussions with policymakers to realise the demands.
Presenting a keynote, RDC Chairperson Prof Mesbah Kamal said an estimated per capita ADP allocation in the FY 2012-13 for Bangladesh as a whole stood at Tk 3718.73 while for indigenous people it was Tk 988.09, which was very inadequate.
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Agriculture Chairman Shawkat Momen Shahjahan, Workers' Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon and Bangladesh Adivasi Forum General Secretary Sanjeeb Drong also spoke at the programme.
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