Protest-Meeting & Human Chain have been held for the justice and arrest of land grabbers on Wednesday (January 18) and encirclement of the UNO office and handing out of memorandums on the initiative of the Bogura district branch of the Jatiya Adivasi Parishad under Sherpur upazila of Bogura district.
From the morning, the people of the small ethnic groups of the indigenous villages started gathering in the central Shaheed Minar of the town.
Later, a rally was held there under the chairmanship of Santosh Singh, president of the district committee of tribal council. Later, a protest march was held at the local bus stand and a human chain program was held.
After that, they went to the Upazila Parishad and surrounded the office of UNO and gave a speech. At the end of these programs, a memorandum was given to Upazila Executive Officer Sanjida Sultana.
According to the memorandum signed by Bogura District Tribal Council President Santosh Singh and General Secretary Swapan Karni Das, on January 08, Ambail village of Bhavanipur union of the upazila was attacked by his men along with Solaiman Ali of the same village to seize the ancestral land of Santosh Singh. Later, two days after this incident, on the morning of January 11, the attack was carried out by preaching on the microphone of the village mosque. Several men and women of minority communities were injured. Currently they are undergoing treatment at Shaheez Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital(SZRMC&H) in Bogura. After this two-pronged attack, the tribals are in a state of insecurity. They are unable to leave the house due to terrible fear.They(indigenous) can’t go to work as a result. They have been living an extremely inhumane life in such conditions.Therefore, theu demand for the security of life and property of the tribal people, ensuring their land rights and living a normal life is stated in that memorandum.
Meanwhile, Professor Robayet Ferdous of Dhaka University’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism has demanded to ensure the treatment and safety of those injured in the attack. At 3 o’clock on the same day, representatives of the civil society visited Ambiil village known as tribal village of Bhavanipur union of upazila under his leadership. Later, he made this demand in the discussion meeting organized there.
Among others, Professor Farha Tanjim Titil of Islamic University, Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum Dr. Gajendra Nath Mahato, executive director of human rights organization Nagarik Udyog Zakir Hossain, Professor Ahsan Habib, Prabir Chakraborty, central leader of Adivasi Parishad Deepayan Khisa, central leader of Adivasi Union Aslam Khan, Jahangir Kabir Tanu, Srikant Mahato, general secretary of Bogura District Communist Party Aminul Farid among others spoke in the meeting on the occasion.
In addition, this delegation includes university teachers, journalists, human rights activists, political figures and people from various professions were in the meeting.
In the discussion meeting, he strongly condemned and expressed anger over the attack on the people of minority communities and said, “Those involved in the attack should be arrested and brought under the law. Forced occupation of homesteads and crop lands of ethnic minorities should be stopped by ensuring land rights.”
“The injured should be compensated for the treatment. The concerned administration and law enforcement should be to ensured their overall safety.”he added strongly.
