Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Professor Mizanur Rahman said the rajakars, who opposed the birth of Bangladesh, have been enjoying all the state facilities, but the ethnic people who fought for the independence of the country have been deprived of their rights.
The indigenous people deserve to enjoy all sort of state facilities, he said.
The NHRC chairman said this at a rally organised on the occasion of 160th Santal Revolution Day yesterday. The Santal people arranged the gathering with a call to formulate a separate land commission for the flat land to protect them from all sort of cruelty of land grabbers.
Mizanur Rahman, expressing his solidarity with their demand, urged the people of the community not to leave Bangladesh and said that ethnic people in Bangladesh are not alone. He hoped that the government would not discriminate anybody in the country.
He urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to listen to the demand of the ethnic people. Marking the historic day, Jatiya Adivasi Parishad (JAP) organised a mass gathering at Dinajpur Institute premises yesterday.
The landmark revolution took place on June 30 in 1855 in Jharkhand in India against upper caste Zaminderi system under British colonial rule. The rebellion was led by the four Murmu brothers - - Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav.
NHRC Chairman Mizanur Rahman addressed the rally as chief guest while Shaheen Anam, chief executive of Manusher Janna Foundation, Anik Asad, country director of Heks Bangladesh, Shanjib Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum and Mirza Anwarul Islam Tanu, were present as special guests. Rabindranath Soren, president of JAP, presided over the rally.
Rabindranath Soren alleged that land grabbers were becoming more desperate and violent to usurp the land of the ethnic minority people. “And we, the Adivasis would not get justice ever”, he regretted. Besides, he alleged, ethnic people are being discriminated in every step in this country.
Some 20 ethnic people were murdered by land grabbers and 520 people of Rangpur-Dinajpur region have already left Bangladesh in last 15 years as they had been harassed and implicated in cases filed by the land grabbers. There are numerous cases of rape, assault and beating incidents to humiliate the community, he continued.
“Without formation of the land commission it is not impossible to protect the community”, he said.
Sanjib Drong alleged that ethnic community in Dinajpur region is still being considered as untouchable.
Anik Asad said Bangali settlers attacked the ethnic people at Chirakuta village in Parbatipur upazila on January 24 this year. During the attack, at least 52 houses were damaged. The government has kept its pledge of repairing their houses from the state funds, he alleged.
 Shaheen Alam hailed the huge presence of woman at the rally. She urged the ethnic people to carry on their movement until their demands are met.
Our Thakrugaon Correspondent adds: The district unit of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad yesterday organised several programmes to mark the day. A rally was brought out from Thakurgaon Press Club premises.
People from all walks of life took part at the rally. Later, a discussion was held at the Thakurgaon Press Club hall room. Dr Shahid Uz Zaman, executive director of ESDO, a non-governmental organisation, attended it as chief guest, while Advisor of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad, Thakurgaon, Imran Hosain Chowdhury spoke as a special guest. President of the organisation Surjo Murmu presided over the discussion. The speakers stressed the need for forging unity to realise the rights of the ethnic people. They urged the ethnic people to establish their rights in the society by following the ideal of Santal leaders -- Sidhu and Kanu.