Evicted people must get their homes back
A special team formed to investigate the incident of eviction of indigenous families from their homesteads on June 13 at Porsha upazila of Naogaon came up with a seven-point demand after a field level visit to the spot.
The team comprised of 20 journalists and human rights activists demanded that indigenous families be taken back to their own lands.
National Coalition for Indigenous Community organised the field level visit following a series of attacks by hired goons of a BNP adherent on those families including 42 indigenous families leading to their eviction from their own lands.
The team published their report yesterday at a press briefing at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the afternoon.
“The role of administration has come into question after the heinous attack. The government must address the problems of indigenous community,” said Saikhuluzzaman of Volunteer Services Overseas, who read out the written statement at the press briefing.
“We demand immediate arrest of the attackers and masterminds behind this incident. They are nothing but land robbers,” said Mahua Leya of Manusher Jonno Foundation.
“Indigenous community will not get rid of their problems unless a separate land commission is established for indigenous people living in the plains and the land commission formulated for those living in hill areas is made effective immediately,” said Manjur Rashid of Action Aid.
The demands include arrest and exemplary punishment of the perpetrators, withdrawal of Officer-in-charge of Porsha Police Station Zahid Hossain and SI Pabitra Kumar Sinha, formulation of judicial enquiry committee, making National Human Rights Commission effective, formation of separate land commission for indigenous people living in the plains and making the land commission for indigenous people in hill areas effective, and constitutional recognition of indigenous people's right to land.
The team's findings say that police abetted the goons in looting, attacking and carrying out arson on the indigenous community in the area on June 13 and 14.
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