Ethnic minority people in plain land have been facing eviction from their homelands in the name of development projects and conservation of dams, eco-parks, protected areas and reserved forests, speakers said at a seminar on Wednesday.
The seminar held in an auditorium of Mohammadpur in the capital organised by Indigenous Peoples Development Services.
European Union’s head of delegation in Bangladesh Charles Whiteley, former chairman of National Human Rights Commission professor Mizanur Rahman and archbishop Bejoy ND Cruze were among the speakers at the seminar.
Shohel Hajong presented a keynote as president of IPDS and Sanjeeb Drong, among others, spoke at the programme.
Charles Whiteley said, ‘We need to refocus our energy in working with the ethnic minority people and understand their needs, demands, requirements and rights.’
He said that they were committed to protect rights of the ethnic minority people.
Charles Whiteley said that they had been working with civil societies to ensure rights of all the people.
Professor Mizanur said that there must be separate land commission for plain land ethnic minority people.
Without this commission, the plain land ethnic minority people will be left with no land within next few years, Mizanur said.
Archbishop Bejoy said that missionaries had been working for ensuring education and social development of the rural ethnic minorities.
The speakers said that the eviction of plain land ethnic minorities remained a major concern as the authorities found different excuses to uproot them from their lands where these people have been living for centuries.
The ethnic minority activists said that two-third of the ethnic minority people lived in plain land and yet the state did not ensure rights and proper facilities for them.
The keynote paper stated that ethnic minority people in plain land have lack of proper healthcare facilities and education rate among them is below than national average.
The ethnic minority groups suffer rights abuses by the state itself and different non-state parities. The minority people face violence and discrimination on various aspects, including physical safety, especially on women, disregard for their ownership and cultural connections to land and resources, the keynote paper added.
The speakers recommended for a separate land commission for the plain land ethnic minority community to secure their rights to land, increase in budget for their development, taking special measures and taking steps for capacity building of ethnic minority women and youth.
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