Forest Act to be amended to protect <i>adivasi</i> interest
Chief adviser's special assistant on forest and environment, Raja Debashish Roy has said the present Forest Act will be amended, if required, to protect the interests of indigenous people.
The government is thinking about preservation of indigenous people's quota in the local government polls and introduction of forest administrations that would include locals to protect the interest of forest dweller indigenous people, he said at a view exchange meeting with indigenous leaders on Thursday afternoon.
As Raja Debashish Roy reached Dokhala Rest House of Modhupur upazila in Tangail, local indigenous Garo people welcomed him with their traditional songs and dances.
Representatives of indigenous people of 60 villages in Modhupur told Debashish Roy about their problems including land issues, harassment by filing forest cases and problems over preservation of indigenous people's quota in education and job sectors.
“Earlier, forest-related cases had been filed indiscriminately against indigenous people including children, old people and even dead people. It cannot be allowed to continue,” he said. He urged the indigenous people to find out ways to preserve their rights.
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