Call to protect rights of indigenous people
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Speakers at a conference in the city Tuesday called for protecting the rights, culture and tradition of indigenous people of the country, reports BSS.
They suggested increasing representation of the indigenous people in local government bodies and taking special measures for their economic, social and cultural development.
The Bangladesh Indigenous People Forum, the European Commission (EC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) jointly organised the conference titled 'Towards a better understanding of the rights of indigenous people' at a city hotel.
UN resident coordinator Renata Dessalien, head of the EC Dr Stefan Frowein, Netherlands Ambassador Bea M. ten Tusscher and Chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Regional Council Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma spoke at the opening session.
The conference was divided into six sessions on various issues related to the rights of the indigenous people.
Former adviser of the caretaker government Sultana Kamal, General Secretary of Bangladeshi Adibasi Forum Sanjeeb Drong, Barrister Sara Hossain, Prof HK Arefeen of the Anthropology Department of Dhaka University, Charles Whiteley and Fabrizio Senesi of the EC, and General Secretary of Jatiya Adibasi Parishad Rabindranath Soren, among others, spoke at various sessions.
Dr Frowein welcomed the steps by the caretaker government to protect the rights of the indigenous people, and commitment of one of the top indigenous leaders Barrister Devasish Roy, who is a special assistant to the chief adviser.
He also said the EC would continue to provide support at both the policy and the programme levels for CHT development apart from their most recent 16 million euro assistance.
Renata said establishment of the rights of the indigenous people was a global issue and even the most developed countries like US, Canada and Australia were yet to meet the challenges completely.
Larma underscored the need for complete implementation of the peace accord signed in 1997 and making the activities of the land commission in the CHT more affective.
Sanjeeb urged the government to allow mobile phones in the CHT as the modern communication network would help improve livelihood of the people.
Rabindranath Soren sought formulation of a special land commission for the CHT.
A good number of indigenous leaders, politicians, and representatives of development partners and NGOs took part in the conference.
They suggested increasing representation of the indigenous people in local government bodies and taking special measures for their economic, social and cultural development.
The Bangladesh Indigenous People Forum, the European Commission (EC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) jointly organised the conference titled 'Towards a better understanding of the rights of indigenous people' at a city hotel.
UN resident coordinator Renata Dessalien, head of the EC Dr Stefan Frowein, Netherlands Ambassador Bea M. ten Tusscher and Chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Regional Council Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma spoke at the opening session.
The conference was divided into six sessions on various issues related to the rights of the indigenous people.
Former adviser of the caretaker government Sultana Kamal, General Secretary of Bangladeshi Adibasi Forum Sanjeeb Drong, Barrister Sara Hossain, Prof HK Arefeen of the Anthropology Department of Dhaka University, Charles Whiteley and Fabrizio Senesi of the EC, and General Secretary of Jatiya Adibasi Parishad Rabindranath Soren, among others, spoke at various sessions.
Dr Frowein welcomed the steps by the caretaker government to protect the rights of the indigenous people, and commitment of one of the top indigenous leaders Barrister Devasish Roy, who is a special assistant to the chief adviser.
He also said the EC would continue to provide support at both the policy and the programme levels for CHT development apart from their most recent 16 million euro assistance.
Renata said establishment of the rights of the indigenous people was a global issue and even the most developed countries like US, Canada and Australia were yet to meet the challenges completely.
Larma underscored the need for complete implementation of the peace accord signed in 1997 and making the activities of the land commission in the CHT more affective.
Sanjeeb urged the government to allow mobile phones in the CHT as the modern communication network would help improve livelihood of the people.
Rabindranath Soren sought formulation of a special land commission for the CHT.
A good number of indigenous leaders, politicians, and representatives of development partners and NGOs took part in the conference.