First plain land indigenous peoples' confce today

The first-ever national conference on indigenous peoples of the plain land will be held in Rajshahi today aiming to establish their rights.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Hoque will attend as principal speaker and State Minister for Social Welfare Promod Mankin will inaugurate it at the Rajshahi Medical College auditorium.

Ten lawmakers and around 1,200 indigenous people are expected to attend it.

The parliamentary caucus on indigenous peoples organised the conference, aided by Bangladesh Adibashi Forum, Jatiya Adibashi Parishad, National Coalition of Indigenous Peoples, Research and Development Collective, OXFAM, United Nations Development Programme, Manusher Jonno Foundation, Christian Aid, International Labour Organization, Caritas, Brac and Action Aid.

Parliamentary Caucus Convener Fazle Hossain Badsha said focus would be on establishing a separate land commission and a ministry, formulating a law to establish their rights and raising next year's budgetary allocation. Indigenous people comprise at least two percent of the population and deserve Tk 4,000 crore. “But only Tk 16 crore was allocated this year,” he said.