Tribal not eligible to be recognized as indigenous: Law Minister
DHAKA: Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed Saturday reiterated that the Bangladeshi tribal are not eligible to be recognized as indigenous as per the United Nations Charter and so they have not been given recognition as indigenous in the constitution.
“Bangladeshi tribal people do not deserve to be recognized as indigenous people. So, they will be recognized as ‘small ethnic groups or tribal’ in the amended constitution,” he categorically said.
The minister came up with the assertion while speaking at a seminar on ‘Expansion of Capital Dhaka and Environment’ organized by Bangladesh Geography Council on the occasion of its 53rd Annual Meeting at the Senate Bhavan of Dhaka University.
The senior lawyer of the Supreme Court also informed his audience that an article would be incorporated in the constitution protecting their rights.
Mentioning that one percent agricultural land is going out of cultivation every year in the rural areas he said: “The government is going to enact law to protect the lands along with the effort for protecting wetlands, rivers and ponds.”
Indicating river grabbers he said there is verdict of the Supreme Court that the rivers have to be restored. “That’s why the grabbers will be evicted from the places they grabbed.”
Barrister Shafique also informed that a law would be enacted to protect the environment. “Nobody will be allowed to cut tree from now on, even their own one,” he said.
Two personalities—Professor Sajjadur Rashid and Professor Nazrul Islam—were given fellowship for their outstanding contribution to protecting the environment.
With organization president Prof AQM Mahbub in the chair, the seminar was also addressed, among others, by Dhaka University pro-VC Dr Harun-or-Rashid, Professor Nazrul Islam Nazim and Professor M Shahidul Islam.
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courtesy: Banglanews24
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