Rights activists demand scrap of decision of declaring Madhupur land as reserve forest [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Rights activists demand scrap of decision of declaring Madhupur land as reserve forest

Local July 26, 2016

Ethnic minority leaders and rights activists on Monday urged the government to withdraw the gazette notification declaring over 9,100 acres of lands at Madhupur in Tangail as reserved forest.
At a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity, they called on the government to reconsider its decision as around 15,000 people of ethnic minority communities would be evicted from their ancestral homesteads, if the government acquired the land.
The environment and forest ministry on February 15 issued a gazette notification announcing the area as reserved forest.
The circular also said that all claims regarding ownership of the lands in this area were disposed in legal way.
Ethnic rights activist Harendranath Sing read out a written statement that said the government neither informed nor discussed with the ethnic people before announcing the area as reserved forest.
He warned that the ethnic people would protect their lands at the cost of their lives, if necessary.
‘In its electoral manifesto, the government had pledged to protect land, cultural and traditional rights of people of all communities. So, the government should scrap its decision to announce the area as reserved forest,’ he said.
Addressing the press conference, columnist Syed Abul Maksud said the government decision would violate the constitutional rights of the ethnic minority people because they would be evicted from their lands.
They could be evicted only when they would be provided with lands in other areas, he observed.
Maksud demanded that the government rather effective those people who set up recreational spots, picnic spots, resorts and other establishments destroying forest.
Politician Pankaj Bhattacharya said some bureaucrats initiated such projects against public interest in a bid to commit corruption and amass wealth.
‘When the countrymen are panicked over militancy and terrorism, the indigenous people have an extra fear of being evicted,’ he said.
He demanded punishment of the mastermind behind such anti-people project.
The government should publish a white paper on corruption and irregularities by influential people regarding forest resources, Pankaj said.
Bangladesh Adivasi Forum general secretary Sanjeeb Drong said indigenous people were victims of different sorts of discriminations and deprivation.
It was the state’s responsibility to protect equal rights of all citizens.
Ethnic minority leader Rabindranath Soren said many people of indigenous communities were being forced to leave the country due to such eviction and other sorts of repression and injustice.
Human Rights Defenders’ Forum and some rights activists under the banner of citizen delegation jointly organised the press conference, while Institute of Environment and Development and Kapeng Foundation assisted them.