Hill Voice, 9 August 2026, Dhaka: On the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, a mass gathering and cultural program was organized by the Bangladesh Adivasi Forum at Dhaka University and the Shahid Minar premises. At the rally, prominent political leaders, human rights activists, and civil society representatives strongly demanded constitutional and legal recognition to protect the fundamental rights, land, language, and culture of over 4 million Indigenous people in the country.
Speakers at the mass gathering stated that even in independent Bangladesh, Indigenous peoples continue to suffer from a crisis of constitutional recognition and land rights. They called for an end to land grabbing and eviction in the name of development and urged the government to ensure their traditional and customary land rights.
Expressing deep frustration, speakers noted that even after 29 years, the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord remains unfulfilled. They urged the military to play a positive role in implementing the accord and demanded the announcement of a time-bound roadmap for its complete implementation.
The full implementation of ILO Convention 107 and the ratification of ILO Convention 169 were also demanded.
Furthermore, speakers called upon Indigenous students and youth to join hands in a united struggle to end oppression, discrimination, and eviction targeting Indigenous peoples in both the hills and the plains.
Following demands are raised at the gathering:
- Constitutional recognition of Indigenous peoples, including their right to self-determinatio.
- Publication of a time-bound roadmap for the full implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord.
- Formation of a separate ministry and land commission for Indigenous peoples living in the plains.
- Ratification of the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and ILO Convention 169.
- Official state celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, alongside the reinstatement and implementation of a 5% reserved quota for Indigenous candidates.
