Human rights of indigenous people grossly violated, says report
The indigenous people of the country faced gross violation of human rights last year while the perpetrators enjoyed full impunity even after committing crimes like murder, rape, and arson, a report has said.
It said the Bangalee people made the majority of the attacks on the indigenous people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and plain lands in attempts to occupy their lands.
At least eight massive communal attacks were made upon the CHT and plain land indigenous communities and seven Adivasis were killed last year, added the Human Rights Report 2011 on Indigenous People in Bangladesh.
“The indigenous peoples in Bangladesh passed 2011, with countless victims facing gross abuses of human rights without access to justice", it read and added, “The perpetrators, irrespective of state and non-state actors, enjoyed full impunity”.
Kapaeeng Foundation (KF), a rights organisation working for the country's indigenous people, prepared the report on the basis of newspaper reports and information from KF activists working different districts. It was released at a programme at National Academy for Planning and Development on Monday.
According to the report, the Bangalee settlers in CHT grabbed 7,118 acres of land belonging to indigenous people last year. During land-related communal conflicts, at least 111 houses of Jumma villages were burnt down in the CHT and 12 others looted and ransacked, it said.
It further said 11 indigenous women were raped and another five were killed after rape in 2011.
Noted educationist Prof Zillur Rahman Siddiqui said the report could be an eye opener for the overall human rights situation of the indigenous community. “The situation cannot be termed satisfactory”, he added.
Mangal Kumar Chakma, an advisor of KF, said the violation of human rights of the Adivasis continues, as the perpetrators stay unpunished. This “culture of impunity” is not only harming the indigenous community, but also the rule of law and democracy of the country, he said.
The report said it is matter of serious concern that thorough investigations are not done into the human rights violations committed by Bangalee settlers with the support of law enforcement agencies in the CHT and by influential land grabbers and criminals with the support of the local administration including police in plain lands.
Kapaeeng Foundation recommended that all the perpetrators be brought to justice and a roadmap be prepared to implement the CHT Accord and solve the land dispute.
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