JAP submit memorandum demanding formation of land commission after accomplishing a long march

On 2-3 October 2012 indigenous peoples of North Bengal in Bangladesh organised a long march from Nachol to Rajshahi demanding enactment of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, formulation of National Commission for Indigenous Peoples, formation of Land Commission for indigenous peoples of plain land, insertion of the names of indigenous communities who were excluded from government list and protesting the suppression, oppression, eviction, rape, land grabbing and killing against indigenous peoples organized by Jatiya Adivasi Parishad. Earlier, a press conference was also held on 28 September 2012 at Nawabganj press club in Chapainowabganj to declare the event prior to the long march.

On 2 October 2012 at 10.00 am the long march was inaugurated at Nachol bus stand of Chapainowabganj. Later the demonstrators spent night at Kakonhat after marching the Nachol bus stand, Amnura twist and Mundumala bazaar. On 3 October 2012, the second day, the campaigners marched toward Rajshahi walking through Rajabarihat and Kashiyadanga mor from Kakonhat. They submitted a memorandum to the divisional commissioner of Rajshahi division. In the memorandum, signed by president of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad Rabindranath Soren and general secretary Sobin Chandra Munda, it was stated that, around 800,000 indigenous peoples of more than 22 communities live in 8 districts of the Rajshahi division. Almost all indigenous peoples of this area were owners of lands. But they are compelled to fight frequently against the suppression and oppression of the land grabbers, frauds, and money lenders for their land rights. The indigenous peoples are compelled to leave the country and dislocate! from their land due to their oppression. The indigenous peoples of the area took part in the liberation war and sacrificed their lives and faced lots of damages. Consequently, their socio-economic condition is ruined. The terrible acts such as suppression, oppression, killing, rapping, eviction from homestead, arson attack so on is still continuing against them till now.

It was also stated that the indigenous peoples are being evicted in the course of falsely enlisting the cultivable land owned by indigenous peoples, homesteads, burial grounds, lands of shrines as vested property by land grabbers in association with some corrupted officials of the land office. On the other hand, indigenous peoples are losing their lands due to denial of land ownership of indigenous peoples in the name of land survey and forestation. In this way through losing their land constantly indigenous peoples have become landless. In this year the land grabbers killed Jambu Chonre in Naogaon and four other indigenous laborers in Manda based on land grabbing. 5 Years old Sagori Oraon was killed after rape at Bodolgachi in Naogaon district. Kartik Kisku was killed at Godagari upozila under Rajshahi District and Soguna indigenous village was burnt by land grabbers. But those, who were involved with these acts, have not been arrested and they still are threatening the ! indigenous peoples openly. Fearing of them, indigenous peoples are passing their days in the reign of terror. Finally following demands were placed in the memorandum:

1. Cancellation of the fake documents of indigenous peoples’ land which were made by land grabbers without permission of the deputy commissioner; the vested property must be returned to the real indigenous land owners and governmental legal support must be given to them;

2. The indigenous peoples must be given permanent settlement and land ownership who have been living on the khas land, burial grounds, religious places and mound of the khas ponds for many days;

3. The land of the indigenous peoples must be returned to the real owners through releasing from the land grabbers and the land grabbers must be punished;

4. The names of the indigenous communities must be enlisted who were excluded from the government list and their cultures must be protected and developed;

5. The opportunities in the services and chance to get admit in the educational institutions and stipend must be given to indigenous peoples, students hostels must be built for indigenous students who are studying in colleges and university in Rajshahi;

6. Action plan and activities must be taken to improve the socio-economic condition of indigenous peoples and regional indigenous development board must be formed;

7. All cases of suppression, oppression, land grabbing, eviction, rape and killing against indigenous peoples must be penalized and the victims must be compensated.