'Protect their lands to save ethnic people'
Speakers at a seminar here yesterday said lands of indigenous people should be protected to save the communities in different areas of the country.
If they lose lands, their existence will be at stake, they said.
The seminar on 'Protection and Establishing Rights on Land of Adivasi People in Mymensingh Region' was held at CARITAS Regional office here.
Protection of lands of indigenous people has turned into a demand as their lands are being grabbed by local influentials, the speakers said.
Problems with land of indigenous people started at Madhupur in Mymensingh region in 1964 that is on still now adding more salt to the injury, they said.
Our land is our life and we have to maintain all sorts of relations including spiritual one with the land. So we must protect our lands, they said.
On eviction of indigenous people from forest lands on various pretexts, they said, forests must be protected for our next generations.
Presided over by Atul Francis Sarker, Director (Development) of CARITAS, the seminar was addressed by former lawmaker advocate Promode Mankin, also president of Tribal Welfare Association (TWA).
The government should take steps to protect rights of indigenous people on their traditional lands, the speakers suggested and demanded constitutional reorganition of the rights.
Among others Associate Professor of Agriculture Economics Faculty of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) Dr. Harun-or-Rashid also spoke.
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