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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Breaking News: Brutal attack on Indigenous Students' rally by the Police

Breaking News: Brutal attack on Indigenous Students' rally by the Police

Peaceful rally organized by the Indigenous Students of Dhaka in protest of "Ethnic Minorities Cultural Diversity Festival" has been attacked by the Bangladesh Police Forces at around 3 pm local time today (6.12.2011). The peaceful demonstration led by the IP students was proceeding towards "Shilpakala Academy" from the Press Club avenue. As the procession reached infront of the "Muktijuddho Jadughor" (Liberation War Museum), hundreds of police suddenly attacked the IP students with batons, clubs and started kicking and slapping them. So many students have been injured by the brutal police attack and eight students have been arrested. Among the eight arrested students, two have been identified as Mithel Chakma and Jyotishman Chakma Bulbul. More details coming soon......



It should be mentioned that, earlier different indigenous organizations of Bangladesh decided to boycott the ongoing ‘cultural diversity festival-2011’,  jointly organized by United Nations Development Program (UNDP)-Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTDF) and Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MoCHTA), which will end on 8th of December. The IP organizations have accused the organizers of undermining Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Bangladesh as they are misusing terms. UNDP-CHTDF used the word “indigenous peoples” in the previous cultural diversity festivals in the last four years, however, this year UNDP-CHTDF has used the word ‘ethnic minorities’, ‘small ethnic group’ and ‘tribal’ in its ‘Concept Note: Cultural Diversity Festival 2011’

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