Budgetary funds for indigenous people demanded
Speakers at a seminar yesterday stressed the need for allocation of budget for grass-root people, including indigenous people and other ethnic minorities, to ensure equal opportunities.
They also suggested the grass-root people to utilise the right to information act to check proper implementation of the budget and help ensure accountability of the authorities concerned.
Kapaeeng Foundation, a human rights organisation of ethnic people, held a seminar on “National Budget and Indigenous People” at Jatiya Press Club in the city.
Noted economist and Professor of Economics Department of Dhaka University MM Akash said, “Though there is two percent indigenous people of the total population in the country, only 0.5 percent of total budget is allocated for indigenous people. The per capita expenditure for an indigenous person is one-third in comparison to Bengali.”
MM Akash said if there is a provision of monitoring system by grass-root people twice a year, the budget allocation will be utilised properly.
There is no positive reflection of budget allocation seen. Indigenous people have become destitute more over the last forty years, said Sanjib Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum.
Researcher Kirti Nishan Chakma in his keynote paper urged the government to make a seperate census on indigenous people.
Lawmakers Jatindra Lal Tripura and Fazle Hossain Badsha, Information Commissioner Sadeka Halim also spoke with Kapaeeng Foundation Chairperson Rabindranath Saren in the chair.
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