Politicians, academics and human rights activists on Wednesday at a discussion meeting called on the Awami League government to give constitutional recognition of the country’s ethnic minority people.
The ethnic minority people are deprived of their rights as a citizen of the country, for the lack of the recognition, they said
Bangladesh Adivasi Forum organised the online discussion meeting to mark the 82nd anniversary of birth of ethnic minority leader Manabendra Narayan Larma, a former member of the parliament who was assassinated in Chattogram Hill Tracts, home to various ethnic minority people.
Adivasi Forum general secretary Sanjeeb Drang presided over the event.
Oikya NAP president Pankaj Bhattacharya said that MN Larma mobilized the people of Chattogram Hill Tracts to establish their rights.
He was not only the leader of hill people but also a leader of all repressed people of the country, Pankaj said.
He called on the people of the CHT to unite to realise their rights.
Human rights activist Sultana Kamal demanded the recognition of ethnic minority people as ‘indigenous people’ in the constitution.
Dhaka University professor Mesbah Kamal called on the government to take immediate steps for complete implementation of CHT Peace Agreement which was signed in 1997.
Journalist Sohrab Hasan said that the constitution of 1972 did not give recognition of the hill people as indigenous people.
He called on the leaders of different organisations in hill to unite to realising their rights.
Former member of parliament Ushtan Talukder said that MN Larma opposed and mobilised protests against the construction of Kaptai Dam which was constructed for hydroelectricity and had displaced more than 40,000 Chakma people and destroyed local environment and biodiversity.
He called on all to follow the ideals of MN Larma.
Rights activist Shamsul Huda, religious minority leader Rana Dashgupta, Adivasi Forum leaders Pallab Chakma, Chandra Tripura and others took part at the discussion.
Manabendra Larma along with his eight followers was assassinated by a group of derailed members of defunct Shantibahini on November 10, 1983.
