The Bureau of Human Rights and Justice (BHRJ), Cares Global, International Commission on the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT Commission) and International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) have called for the withdrawal or clarification of recent remarks by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan concerning the identity of Indigenous peoples in Bangladesh.
In a joint statement, the organisations said Indigenous identity and Bangladeshi citizenship are not mutually exclusive. They stressed that Indigenous peoples of Bangladesh are both citizens of the state and members of distinct Indigenous communities with their own identities, cultures and histories.
The statement followed comments reportedly made by the two ministers at a roundtable discussion titled “Indigenous Identity is Irrelevant for Bangladesh”, held in Dhaka on 11 August. The event was organised by the Chittagong Hill Tracts Research Foundation (CHRF). According to a newspaper report, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said there are no Indigenous peoples in Bangladesh and argued that all citizens should be identified solely as Bangladeshi. Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan reportedly said that the use of the term “Indigenous” in Bangladesh is irrelevant.
The four organisations expressed strong concern over the remarks, saying that denying the existence or distinct identity of Indigenous peoples risks undermining their constitutional and human rights and contradicts Bangladesh’s commitments to international human rights standards.
BHRJ said recognition of Indigenous identity does not pose a threat to Bangladesh’s national unity, sovereignty, security or territorial integrity. Rather, it argued, recognition of diverse identities can coexist fully with Bangladeshi citizenship and strengthen an inclusive understanding of the country’s national identity. Cares Global mentioned that it is the responsibility of the Government of Bangladesh to officially recognise the Adibasi (Indigenous) status of these communities and to ensure the protection and fulfilment of their rights.
The organisations therefore urged the two ministers to withdraw or clarify their statements and called for greater recognition of the rights and distinct identities of Indigenous peoples in Bangladesh. They also emphasised that citizenship should not be used to erase or deny the cultural, ethnic and historical identities of Indigenous communities living in the country, including those in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
