Eminent citizens of the country have expressed concerns over the burning of indigenous-owned Jhum gardens by a rubber company in Bandarban.

"We are deeply disappointed by the administration's lack of visible action in the burning of Jhum garden; We are concerned. Indigenous families affected by the fire are likely to face a food crisis soon," read the statement.

"The local administration has not taken any action for justice or reassurance from the affected families, which has upset us."

The statement also called for an impartial investigation into the burning of a 100-acre Jhum orchard to ensure legal redressal, immediate arrest of those responsible, the safety of the victims, adequate compensation and occupation of Mro people in the neighbourhood.

Earlier, Lama Rubber Industries Ltd, with the help of local land grabbers, occupied about 300 acres of land belonging to the indigenous community of Langkom Mro Karbari Para, Joychandra Tripura Karbari Para and Rengen Mro Karbari Para of Sorai union in Bandarban's Lama upazila.

"The company had filed false cases against the indigenous people at different times when they protest they said. Although the land ownership of the indigenous plains is determined by the customary law of the country, the land ownership of the indigenous in the three hill districts is social," read the statement.

It also said the principle of "universal property ownership" is the basis of their land ownership. Hence, this proprietary lineage is verbal. It is managed by the headmen and Karbaris of the hill tracts under three circles. But in the last 30 years, 51 percent of the hill's social ownership of land and property has been lost.

A detailed report was published in The Daily Star Bangla platform on April 27 under the headline "Allegations of burning Mro's Jhum garden against the Rubber Company".

The signatories of the statement include Pankaj Bhattacharya, president, Oikya NAP; advocate Sultana Kamal; Rasheda K Chowdhury; Ramendu Majumdar; Sarwar Ali, trustee, Liberation War Museum; Fauzia Moslem, president, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad; Khushi Kabir, rights activist; MM Akash, professor, Dhaka University; Robayet Ferdous, professor, Dhaka University and Saleh Ahmed, general secretary, Combined Social Movement.