Integrate indigenous people in project implementation

They called for united efforts by government and non-government organisations to protect the livelihood of indigenous people in Madhupur Shal forest in Tangail.

The workshop titled 'Madhupur forest and indigenous people: Problems and legal position" was organised jointly by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Action Aid Bangladesh, Ain-O-Salish Kendra, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), ALRD and Joinshahi Adibashi Unnayan Parishad at LGED Bhaban in the city.

The speakers said the government needs to be more rational while dealing with indigenous people who were evicted by all governments since Pakistan period in the name of afforestation.

Besides, several thousand false cases have been filed against the indigenous people accusing them as land grabbers, they added.

Fazlus Sattar, coordinator of Global Network for the Prevention of Torture, said the indigenous people also known as Mandi inhabitant, have been living in Madhupur forest for thousand years and the are fully depended on the forest as Shal trees provide them with food and shelter.

But since 1962 after the declaration of Madhupur forest as National Park all successive governments tried to evict them without paying any heed to their land rights.

Prof Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University said Madhupur afforestation project funded by the ADB is unsocial one as the participation of local people in it was ignored.

Plantation of Eucalyptus, Acasia and Menjiam plants and cultivation of pineapple and banana by cleaning the Shal forest prove government's negligence to indigenous people as there is no need for fresh afforestation if steps are taken to protect the Shal trees, he added.

Speaking as chief guest Dr Abdur Razzak MP said as Shal forest is a national wealth a political decision is necessary in this regard.

Some indigenous people who attended the workshop urged the government to withdraw all false cases against them and leave the forest untouched.

"We are now scared as food and medicine plants are on the verge of extinction," they added.

What was the necessary to afforest the area by destroying its natural tress, they questioned.

Earlier, a documentary titled 'Our Shalban' was screened.

Presiding over by Dr Ainnun Nishat, country representative of IUCN Bangladesh, the workshop was also addressed by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, director of BELA, Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, associate professor of Jahangirnagar University, and Ajoy A Mri, president of Joinshahi Adibashi Unnayan Parishad also spoke.