Recent findings of Kapaeeng Foundation, a human rights organisation, indicates that the indigenous population of the country are struggling to survive in the face of land grabbing and other forms of violence and intimidation.
It said compared to last two years, incidents of violence against the indigenous population, particularly those related to land grabbing, have increased alarmingly.
According to the findings, at least 10 communal attacks- six in Chittagong Hill Tracts (including EPZ) and four in the plain land- took place in which houses and properties of at least 346 families- 275 from CHT and 71 from plainland- were destroyed and looted.
In the same year, at least 47 houses including one from the plainland were set on fire. Around 2000 people of CHT had to flee to the no man’s land at the India- Bangladesh border.
Last year, 66 families were attacked in the plainland and in last five years at least 200 families fled to India from North Bengal region falling victims of land grabbing, false cases and intimidation.
The statistics show, during the last year, 3792 acres of land were grabbed only in the CHT area while 103 bighas of land in the plain land.
The land grabbers include mostly Bengali settlers (who were politically settled in 1975 by the government order), high profile political figures from the government and also top brass of some multinational companies.
Of the total areas grabbed in CHT, 3717 acres of lands were grabbed mainly by outside private parties and influential people including former Forest and Environment Minister’s wife Noor Fatema and 75 acres were grabbed by the government.
Indigenous families from the northwest region of the country had lost their traditional lands as the administration listed them as ‘Khas’ (state-owned) land, although, as a signatory of the ILO Convention no 107 on Indigenous and Tribal Populations, the state is not permitted to do so, said the findings.
The report also pointed out that a total of 26 families were evicted while 1062 families were under threat of eviction.
According to the organisation, at least 11 indigenous people including four women- three from CHT and eight from plainland- were killed in 2013.
A total of 67 indigenous women and children- 53 from CHT and 14 from plainland-were subjected to violence. Of them, 15 indigenous women and children-12 from CHT and three from plainland- were raped.
The report mentioned that 69% of the women victims were minor while 89% of the perpetrators were Bengali settlers- 7% of indigenous origin and 4% from security forces.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
