There are lot of ethnic people around the world who have a distinct cultural, language, and lifestyle that can enrich us in many ways. In Bangladesh, there are about 45 such communities who have been living in this country for more than hundred years. Unfortunately, the rights of the ethnic groups are yet to be established fully even in some key areas, and only a few of them received attention. For example, they do not yet enjoy documented right to land possession. Apparently, it is a case of a development project finding no acceptance among the ethnic people. However, a deeper look into the matter reveals that the locals want to retain their habitat and lifestyle and are resistant to any change that does not ensure their participation.
It is evident that, despite observance of a special day and the general consensus that the rights of ethnic people are overlooked and they still have many grievances. The civil society and different advocacy groups have always supported their cause in unequivocal terms. Successive governments have also emphasized the need for integrating them into the mainstream- something they can do without shedding their ethnic identity. However, they are an integral part of our society and have the potential enough to contribute significantly to its development. Above all, their culture and ethos can enrich our national life and culture and the nations are not thinking about.
It is now believed that civilization has advanced beyond our imagination and we are eagerly waiting to see its ultimate thriving which perhaps will lead us to a state of complete bliss we have been dreaming of for long. But, as old saying goes, "there is a darker side under the fulgent of light". It is a true reminder that civilization too has its darker influence on humankind. Still people on this earth live under the threat of being ousted and extinct. Still they have to fight for establishment of their rights, in-habitation, and governmental aids. In this luster of civilization, people still have to cry hoarse for protection of their culture. Yes, they, they are the "ethnic people", living across the world including in Bangladesh, alongside the "mainstream" ones.
Bangladesh is rather lucky enough that it has a variety of tribes that carry the colors of ethnic credential. These people are living across the country and as a result, their lifestyles, philosophy, social customs and culture are directly helping to enrich our over all cultural scenario. This diversity of tribe and race is a wealth for a developing country like Bangladesh, if we consider the matter from the anthropological point of view. Because, it signifies the cultural richness of our country.
Unfortunately, in Bangladesh we could not come up yet with appropriate steps for the betterment of condition of the ethnic people who are living under perceived threat of eviction. Neither governmental initiative nor private enterprise has been taken to listen to the agonies of these "aborigines". It is our great failure that despite being the people of a democratic country, we have not been able to pay heed to their demands. Sometimes, even we have tried to just overlook their afflictions because they are not directly linked to our mainstream culture and ideologies. Moreover, they are small sections of people left out without proper education, medication and democratic treatment.
The ethnic people are, most often, said to be remaining out of school and in the fallacy of superstition. Still, 95 per cent of ethnic people in Bangladesh are deprived of all sorts of existing facilities of the country. Unfortunately, they are the most unprivileged community in our country. They are addressed hardly by the newspapers and other media, they are hardly under the eye of development actors to ameliorate their sufferings and even the government and the opposition ignore them.
The government should remember that they may be ethnic people, but they are the citizens of Bangladesh and they have every right to remain protected by their rights.
Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) has been working to establish a beautiful tomorrow for the ethnic people when there will not exist any discrimination, deprivation, imparity and untoward incident against them. They won't be pushed to a situation where their survival will be impossible and which make the common people feel guilty. We are striving to make a society for them when all the ethnic people of our working area will be educated and help the country to thrive economically. But, we must have work decisively to transform this desire into a reality and trying to make consolidated effort to serve these ethnic people as they are the part of our culture and society, and we are making our all out effort to make them better off.
It is also remarkable that among the existing participants living in the northern region of Bangladesh more than 15% are minorities which includes Adibashi, Hindu, Christian and Spirituals and their rights are frequently denied by the majorities i.e. Non Adibashi people.
Socio-economic status of the ethnic minorities living in the region especially are extremely poor, where the proposed project will be implemented. It can be mentioned here that among the Ethnic minority participants, most of them deprived and exploited by the well off people and majorities. On the other hand in the working area due to social pressure, financial constraints and lack of facilities they are not organizing any cultural events. Whereas no one supporting them or taking their side so that they can organize their cultural events. Therefore, the values and culture including their own language going to be abolished.
Moreover, they usually cheated by the majority people especially on land issue and every day they are losing their land. Some people from the majority making forge deed and claims that it is their land and forcibly occupying the land and bringing under their control and they are always keeping the ethnic people in threat and pressure so that they can not go to take the legal support.
They are the victims of torture and repression. Every year Non Ethnic terrorists forcibly collect the subscription. In case of failure to provide money within the schedule date they torture the Ethnic people. Even that the majority non-ethnic people don’t hesitate to kill them to occupy their assets and committing rape on ethnic women and girls. In a word there is no security of the ethnic women and girls. In some cases the Ethnic people go to the authority to put cases at the police station but in most cases the authority don’t receive the cases. In fact all of their efforts go in vain. In most cases the Government Authorities including police force found silent as the offenders some how manage them. Furthermore, most of the terrorists have the political shelter.
Again, they have no access to the residence of mainstream people with dignity. The majority people disregard and hate them and so they cannot take food in their house and sale the food products. Again, there exist wage imparity in comparison to other people.
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