‘A continuation of oppression’
The responsibility of the forest department is to conserve nature, but we find no sign of this among its officials. We have to let indigenous people live in nature and conserve the environment. The forest is in their thoughts and culture.
Nine rights organisations yesterday condemned and expressed concern over repeated incidents of violence on Garo and Khasia communities to evict them from their land in Moulvibazar's Kulaura upazila.
Sammilito Samajik Andolon, Nijera Kori, Manusher Jonno Foundation, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (Bela), Association for Land Reforms and Development (ALRD), Nagorik Uddog, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum and Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) raised the concern at a virtual press conference.
In a joint statement, they raised concern over the "vicious effort" to grab jhum and betel trees of the communities in the name of social forestry, which put the forest department's role into question.
They also mentioned separate incidents on August 27, where three people from the Khasia community were attacked on their way back home, and five of the same community were assaulted.
On August 24, around 28,000 betel trees of the Khasia community at the upazila's Kormoda union were chopped down, incurring damages worth Tk 18 lakh, leaving five Garo and Khasia families in a destitute state, the statement said.
Bapa President Sultana Kamal, who chaired the conference, said this oppression is nothing new; it is just a continuation of previous incidents.
"It's our duty to let the people know about the development in the Garo and Khasia communities. The miscreants think they will be able to get away with it, given the impunity they enjoy in the country."
She lambasted the forest department for its questionable role in Kulaura upazila.
"The responsibility of the forest department is to conserve nature, but we find no sign of this among its officials. We have to let indigenous people live in nature and conserve the environment. The forest is in their thoughts and culture."
She said if a community of the country lives in constant fear, then it is presumed that there is violation of human rights. The government must ensure the safety and security for Garo and Khasia communities.
Bela Chief Executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan also criticised the forest department, saying that the body runs under antiquated laws, which were formed during the British rule.
"How dare they think about social forestry while damaging the life and livelihood of so many families," she said.
Sharif Jamil, general secretary of Bapa, presented the keynote, while Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum; rights activist Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori; Shamsul Huda, executive director of Association of Land Reforms Development; and Nizamul Haque Nasim, former justice of Appellate Division, also spoke at the conference.
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