Form a separate land commission for them

Speakers at a webinar on Wednesday demanded a separate land commission for indigenous people living on plainlands.

Titled "Separate Land Commission for Plainland Ethnic People", it was organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and its partner organisations.

MJF executive director Shaheen Anam presided over the programme. She said, "Indigenous people are being evicted from their lands in different parts of the country. Land grabbers are acting up in various ways, and to stop this, everyone should be more vocal against them."

"The government must immediately set up a separate land commission for the indigenous people as promised in its election manifesto," she added.

Bangladesh Indigenous Forum president Sanjeeb Drong presented the keynote paper in the webinar. He said the current government promised in 2008 to form a land commission for the indigenous people of plainlands.

"AL's election manifesto stated in paragraph 18 they will eliminate terrorism, discrimination and human rights violations against religious minorities, ethnic minorities, and tea garden workers; protect their lives, property and dignity; and ensure equality in every sphere of their life."

 AL also mentioned that a land commission will be formed with special measures to protect traditional rights of indigenous people of plainlands, their lands, reservoirs and forest areas, he said.

 Demanding formation of the commission without further delay, Sanjeeb said, "Nothing has been done yet to form the commission in the past 12 years."

 Flora Babli Talang, a Khasia tribal leader from Moulvibazar, lamented, "We have been demanding for a separate land commission since 2001. When will it be implemented? After all of us are driven out of our land?"  

 Speaking as chief guest, convener of the parliamentary caucus on indigenous affairs Fazle Hossain Badsha said indigenous people are being evicted from their land just because they do not have a document of their land.      "While it is the responsibility of the state to give this paper, it didn't fulfil its responsibility. All non-communal forces must immediately move together to realise this demand," he said.         

Prof Mezbah Kamal of Dhaka University's history department and chairperson of research organisation RDC; Sohrab Hossain, joint editor of Prothom Alo; indigenous leaders Ajay Mri, Harendra Nath Singh, Sara Marandi; MJF director Rina Roy, and Rafiq Ahmed Siraji of ALRD, among others, spoke at the event.