Ethnic minorities in Madhupur vow to resist lake excavation bid

People from ethnic minority communities living in Madhupur of Tangail demonstrated today protesting the Forest Department's plan to excavate an artificial lake on croplands at Amtoly mouja for entertaining local and foreign tourists.

Several hundred of people from Garo community and other communities joined the rally held at Dokhala intersection, reports our Tangail correspondent.

Ajoy-A-Mre, former president of Joyenshahi Adivasi Unnoyon Parishad, presided over the rally.

Speaking at the rally, Ajoy-A-Mre said they have been cultivating their land for hundreds of years. But the Forest Department almost always tries to evict the local ethnic minorities' people in the name of development.

He said ethnic minorities have been living in this area since before the creation of the Forest Department. They have been cultivating this land for their livelihood.

The Forest Department has no right to declare protected forest areas by putting up signboards on their agricultural lands, the ethnic minority leader said.

Other speakers at the rally said ethnic minority will not allow any digging of lake in their agricultural land. "We will not allow anyone to sail on our tears."

They asked that what kind of development in the excavation of the artificial lake in the name of recreation by destroying agricultural land?

They also said none can suppress their fair movement by filing false cases against the minority leaders to obstruct the land protection movement. On the contrary, the more lawsuits are filed against the local minority leaders, the more their movement will turn into a fire.

Among others, John Jetra, president of Bangladesh Garo Chhatra Sangathan, Alik Mre, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Chhatra Sangram Parishad, Mukul Daru on behalf of the land owners, and Tony Mathew Chiran, organising secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Jubo Forum spoke at the rally.