Return land grabbed from us

They also asked the government to arrange five percent quota for them in higher education and service, and primary education in their mother languages.

At a press conference arranged by the Jatiya Adivasi Parishad at the Jatiya Press Club auditorium yesterday, its leaders also demanded that the government form a separate ministry for the plain land indigenous people and arrange 10 seats for their representatives in parliament.

Referring to the incidents of killings and rape, they said in independent Bangladesh, the indigenous people are undergoing torture and deprivation more severe than during the Pakistan regime.

"The innocent indigenous people do not get justice in most cases as the land grabbers get favour of the ruling party members as well as the police and administration," said Rabindra Nath Soren, secretary general of the Jatiya Adivasi Parishad.

Nearly 15 lakh people of 38 indigenous communities living in 16 districts of the northern region of the country have lost hundreds of acres of land, he said, adding, "As the government does not have any regard for community ownership system of the indigenous people, their lands are acquired as khas lands."

People from the majority Bengali speaking community are misusing government's Special Affairs Department funds for income-generating programmes for the plain land indigenous people, said Anil Marandi, president of the parisahd.

During the last five years in Godagari upazila, the government allocated Tk 76 lakh for the purpose but most of the fund has been misused, he said.

He demanded inclusion of indigenous people's representatives in the fund grant committee.

The indigenous leaders also demanded the provision for the post of Adivasi Affairs Secretary at the local and central levels of the political parties.

Professor Mesbah Kamal, Binod Chandra Rajowan, Ratan Rabi Das, Dewan Hamron, among others, were present at the conference.