Hill Voice, 9 August 2026, Bogura: On the occasion of International Indigenous Peoples Day 2026, the Jatiya Adivasi Parishad held a press conference demanding 16 points, including constitutional recognition of Indigenous peoples (IPs), the establishment of a separate ministry and an independent land commission for Indigenous peoples in the plains, among other demands.
The press conference was held yesterday, August 8, at the Bogura Press Club. Philimon Bask, a presidium member of the organization, chaired the event, while Khokon Suiten Murmu, its Secretary for International Affairs, read out the written statement.
Advocate Saiful Islam Paltu, coordinator of the Bogura District unit of the Bangladesh Socialist Party (BASAD), also expressed solidarity with the demands.
At the press conference, the Jatiya Adivasi Paroshad presented the following 16-point demands:
1. Establish a separate ministry and an independent land commission for Indigenous peoples in the plains.
2. Provide constitutional recognition to Indigenous peoples as “Indigenous peoples.”
3. Ensure proper implementation of Section 97(8) of the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act.
4. Distribute khas land, homesteads, cemeteries and ponds to Indigenous peoples in their names under the possessory-rights provision.
5. Stop forcible aquisition of Indigenous peoples’ land in the name of afforestation, as well as cases filed and harassment carried out by the Forest Department.
6. Before undertaking any development project in Indigenous areas, consult with local communities and publish an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.
7. Return 1,842.30 acres of land in Sahebganj-Bagdafarm to the rightful owners and ensure justice and compensation for the killing of three Santals.
8. Introduce primary education in Indigenous peoples’ own languages and appoint at least one Indigenous teacher in primary schools located in Indigenous-populated areas.
9. Reserve a 5 percent quota for Indigenous peoples in higher education and government employment.
10. Establish cultural academies in every Indigenous-populated district and appoint Indigenous personnel to those institutions.
11. Establish separate Indigenous and Minority Commissions.
12. Provide for four reserved seats in the Jatiya Sangsad from the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions, along with two reserved seats for Indigenous women.
13. Include Indigenous communities that have been left out in the official government gazette.
14. Ensure justice and exemplary punishment for killings, rape and human rights violations committed against Indigenous peoples.
15. Set the daily wage of tea workers at Tk 500 and ensure its implementation.
16. Accelerate the implementation of the commitments made to Indigenous peoples in the election manifesto of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Speakers at the press conference said that it is the fundamental responsibility of the state to immediately implement these demands in order to protect the existence of Indigenous peoples and ensure their rights, as well as their political and economic liberation.
