Agitated civil society protests at Shahbagh against attack on 'Indigenous' people

A protest rally was organized by the outraged civil society at Shahbagh in response to the removal of indigenous words and graffiti from textbooks, as well as the attack on indigenous people. The rally was held in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh on Sunday evening.

During the rally, Alik Mri said, "On the 15th, a bogus organization called 'Students for Sovereignty' attacked our indigenous people. We were part of the July Revolution in '24. To honor the spirit of that revolution, Indigenous words and graffiti were added to the textbooks. However, under pressure from a group of extremists, the Chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) removed those graffiti. When we announced our program on the 13th, 'Students for Sovereignty' planned an attack on us. We shared the terrorist threats they issued on Facebook, but the government took no action. As a result, they attacked us, injuring 21 of our brothers and sisters. In protest, we organized a march, but the police turned against us. Still, they remained silent on the 15th. Each one of us was struck on the head with the intent to kill. We demand justice for this attack and call for the immediate reinstatement of indigenous words in textbooks."

Karim Sikdar, Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh JASAD, said, "The people of this country are aware of who is behind the conspiracy to turn this government into an authoritarian regime. These attacks and lawsuits will lead to nothing. If we stand united, no force can conspire against us. You have witnessed them attacking our indigenous brothers and sisters with national flags tied to sticks. Their photos are still circulating. How is it possible that they are still roaming freely? We demand that the interim government hold the attackers accountable and bring them to justice."

The speakers outlined six demands during the rally:

1. A swift, high-level, impartial investigation into the brutal attack on indigenous citizens and students protesting peacefully in front of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), and immediate arrest and strict punishment for all terrorists involved in the attack.
2. The state must ensure proper medical treatment for all indigenous students and citizens injured in the attack on January 14, 2025.

3. The authorities must quickly identify any special groups that may have supported the terrorist group responsible for the attack and ensure accountability by punishing those involved according to the law.

4. Chapters that properly represent the history, heritage, and culture of indigenous peoples must be included in textbooks.

5. The NCTB should apologize to the student movement for removing the indigenous words and graffiti, which dishonored the spirit of the July uprising, and the removed graffiti must be reinstated with due respect.

6. The law enforcement agencies' failure or silence in preventing the pre-planned attack by the self-proclaimed attackers must be explained clearly and satisfactorily to the public by the government and the appropriate authorities.