Form separate land commission for them

The government needs to strengthen its efforts to improve livelihood of the country's indigenous community people living in the plainland, said speakers at a roundtable yesterday.

They said like indigenous community people of the hills, indigenous people in the plain are also facing various forms of discrimination including those related to land ownership.

Indigenous Peoples Development Services (IPDS) and Islamic Relief Bangladesh (IRB) jointly organised the roundtable on "Leave No One Behind: Inclusion of Plain Land Ethnic Minorities in achieving SDG 2030" at the capital's The Daily Star Centre.

Rashed Khan Menon, lawmaker and chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Welfare Ministry, said if Bangladesh wants to be a role model in achieving SDGs then it must include ethnic minorities in the agenda.

"The problem is political and it has to be resolved from that perspective."

Prof Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University's history department said due to gradual landlessness, indigenous people of the plain are now facing challenges to ensure food security.

Presenting a keynote paper, IPDS President and an indigenous community leader Sanjeeb Drong said the government has its commitment to form a separate land commission for indigenous community people of the plain.

Prof Shuchita Sharmin of DU's development studies department said findings of an on-going study on indigenous community people of plain in five districts suggest 9.25 percent of those already belonging to poor group have become poorer amid the pandemic.