25 indigenous organizations issue statement protesting remarks by 2 ministers

Twenty-five indigenous student, youth, women, and cultural organizations have strongly protested statements made by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon regarding the indigenous identity.

In a joint statement issued the organizations described the remarks made by the two ministers as objectionable, and contrary to history and reality on Thursday (August 13). Alongside this condemnation, they put forward a four-point demand, which includes constitutional recognition for indigenous peoples and the assurance of rights to land and natural resources.

The controversy arose following a roundtable discussion held on Tuesday in Dhaka titled "Indigenous Identity Irrelevant for Bangladesh," organized by the Chattogram Hill Tracts Research Foundation (CHTRF), where the two ministers delivered their speeches.

According to the statement, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed asserted during the event that everyone living in Bangladesh is a resident and no one is indigenous, adding that under geographical and constitutional realities, the primary identity of all citizens residing within the country is simply Bangladeshi, meaning no indigenous groups exist. At the same workshop, Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan similarly remarked that the term indigenous is irrelevant in the context of Bangladesh.

The 25 organizations stated that they firmly reject these remarks, emphasizing that Bangladesh is a country composed of multiple ethnicities, languages, and cultures, where more than 50 indigenous ethnic groups have coexisted alongside the majority Bengali population for a long time while preserving their distinct languages, cultures, traditions, and lifestyles.

The statement noted that indigenous communities have played a vital role in various democratic movements and struggles throughout the country, including the 1971 Liberation War, yet successive governments since independence have deprived them of their legitimate rights. The organizations claimed that this prolonged deprivation has pushed the indigenous population into a serious crisis regarding the preservation of their national existence and distinctiveness.

The joint statement concluded with a four-point demand urging that the indigenous peoples of Bangladesh be constitutionally recognized as indigenous, that rights to land, territories, natural resources, and self-determination be established, that the right to conserve, control, protect, and develop their cultural heritage and knowledge be guaranteed, and that the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples be fully implemented.

The statement was signed by a broad coalition of groups including the Bangladesh Marma Students Council, Tripura Student Forum, Bangladesh Tanchangya Students Welfare Forum, Bawm Students Association, Bangladesh Mro Students Association, Bangladesh Khumi Students Association, Bangladesh Kheyang Students Union, Bangladesh Garo Student Organization, Bangladesh Garo Student Federation, Bangladesh Hajong Student Organization, Bangladesh Mahato Indigenous Student Organization, Hajong Student Council, Bangladesh Garo Student Union, Khasi Student Union, Hill Women's Federation, Parbatya Chattagram Pahari Chhatra Parishad, Bangladesh Indigenous Students Struggle Council, Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum, and the Bangladesh Indigenous Women's Network, among other bodies.