44 prominent citizens protest ministers' remarks on indigenous peoples

Forty-four prominent citizens have protested remarks made by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon at a recent roundtable discussion concerning indigenous peoples in across the country.

In a joint statement sent to the media on Tuesday (August 18), the signatories called on the two ministers to withdraw their remarks.

According to the statement, the ministers told a roundtable in Dhaka on August 11 that Bangladesh has no indigenous peoples and that all citizens should identify simply as Bangladeshis. Swapon also reportedly said the term "indigenous" was irrelevant in the context of Bangladesh.

The signatories said they were deeply disappointed by the comments, arguing that such remarks threaten the distinct identity and internationally recognised rights of indigenous communities.

They also questioned how the government could pursue its stated commitment to building a "Rainbow Nation" encompassing all ethnic communities if it denies the existence of indigenous peoples.

The statement said the ministers' comments were inconsistent with Bangladesh's Constitution, domestic laws and international legal obligations, and urged them to withdraw the remarks immediately.

Minority non-Bengali communities traditionally described as indigenous or tribal peoples are officially referred to by the government as "small ethnic groups".

Among those who signed the statement are Sultana Kamal, Khushi Kabir, Shirin Parvin Haq, Abu Said Khan, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Iftekharuzzaman, Shahin Anam, ZI Khan Panna, Dr Mong Usha Thurai, Shahidul Alam, Sara Hossain, Shamsul Huda, Subrata Chowdhury, Samina Lutfah, Salma Ali, Manindra Kumar Nath and Dipayan Khisa.