History of people of all ethnicities demanded

Historians, educationists and rights activists on Friday said a country’s history should be written by people of all ethnicities for it to be complete and authentic.
Currently, the Bengalis were trying to deny history and identities of the people of other ethnicities living in Bangladesh, they said.
They were speaking at a book launching ceremony held at TSC cafeteria of Dhaka University.
The book titled ‘Chakma Jatir Itihas Bichar Ebong Ashok Kumar Dewan’ has been written by Priscilla Raj on Ashok Kumar’s work on the Chakma history.
Ashok Kumar, former director of Rangamati Tribal Cultural Institute, wrote Chakma Jatir Itihas Bichar in two volumes (in 1991 and in 1993) on the Chakma history and language.
Chairing the event, researcher and columnist Syed Abul Maksud said history should be written by many people so that it could be complete and authentic.
Anthropology and social science professor Prashanta Tripura, delivering the keynote speech, said the book was an answer to them who were trying to establish that Chakma people were not ‘adivasi’ of Chittagong Hill Tracts.
‘Bengalis have taken the word ‘jati’ only for them and others are “upojati”,’ he said.
Chief guest Nijera Kori convener Khushi Kabir said currently in Bangladesh only people of Bengali ethnicity, more specifically only the Bengali Muslims, were recognised only on political ground.
‘Now we hope we will get history of other ethnicities as well,’ she said.
DU history professor Mesbah Kamal said the book had shown that Chakma people existed even in the 1600s in the CHTs.
The ceremony was attended, among others, by senior journalist Sohrab Hassan, social worker Tandra Chakma and lawyer Pratikar Chakma.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net