Hill Voice, 26 April 2025, International Desk: Representative of Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum, Toni Chiran, has delivered statement on Agenda Item 4 titled “Discussion on the six mandated areas of the Permanent Forum (Economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights), with reference to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development” on April 25, 2025 at the 24th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).

Toni Chiran sai that Bangladesh has a rich cultural heritage, and he appreciate the initiatives by the Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus-led Interim Government to promote and preserve it. However, progress in all six mandated areas has been slow. One major concern is the ongoing human rights violations against Indigenous peoples. On January 15, 2025, a violent attack was carried out by fundamentalists in the banner of “Students for Sovereignty” targeted Indigenous students, activists, and journalists protesting the removal of Indigenous-themed artwork from textbooks led to 13 indigenous peoples severe injured, but justice remains elusive, with perpetrators released. In 19 & 20 September 2024, communal attacks in Dighinala, Khagrachari, and Rangamati Sadar of CHT led to the deaths of three Indigenous people and serious injuries to 20 others.

Indigenous peoples in Bangladesh are often displaced from their ancestral lands for development projects like export processing zones, eco-tourism projects, rubber industries and military camps, without their consent. Recently, Indigenous communities in Tangail, Sherpur, Gazipur, and Dinajpur face eviction threats due to eco-tourism projects and illegal resource extraction in Mymensingh, plain land. The Santal people are at risk of displacement for an export processing zone in Gabindagonj, Gaibandha and tea companies are forcibly occupying the Khasi and Garo Indigenous people’s lands in greater Sylhet region.

Indigenous human rights defenders in Bangladesh are often criminalized, falsely accused, and arbitrarily detained for speaking out against these violations. Indigenous women and girls are especially vulnerable, facing sexual violence, rape (More than 25 cases reported in 2024), harassment, and even murder in land-related conflicts. We strongly condemn these extreme-level of human rights violations and demand justice. However, justice remains elusive due to a lack of respect for Indigenous peoples, weak governance, and ineffective legal frameworks.

The expropriation of Indigenous lands and human rights violations must end. The state must act swiftly to ensure justice and recognize Indigenous governance systems. Despite signing the 1997 CHT Accord, its full implementation is pending, and the creation of a separate land commission for Indigenous peoples in plain lands remains unrealized.

Toni Chiran urged the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to recommend the following:
• The Government of Bangladesh must stop human rights violations, land grabbing, and development projects on Indigenous lands without their consent.
• A separate land commission for Indigenous peoples in plain lands should be established, and the full implementation of the CHT Accords and Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Rights Act should be ensured.
• UN bodies should conduct country visits to assess the situation and provide recommendations.
• A framework and mechanisms must be created to protect Indigenous rights and address systemic issues.