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Minority rights activists, left leaning political leaders and eminent citizens on Friday demanded constitutional recognition of the national minority communities.

The recognition would mean a reflection of the true spirit of the July uprising, they said from a mass rally held at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital.

Bangladesh Adivasi Forum organised the rally titled ‘Strengthening the struggle to protect the identity of the indigenous people in gaining recognition of self-respect and self-identity’.

At the rally they upheld their 12-point demands that included—immediate arrest and prosecution of those who attacked the national minority students and their supporters in the capital on January 15; restoration of the graffiti with the word ‘Adivasi’ in the textbook; separate ministry and land commission for the plainsland minority communities; full implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts peace accord; ensuring all political, social, economic, cultural and land rights of the minorities; no infrastructure on the land of minorities without their approval; withdrawal of all fake cases against the minorities; reserved seats for them in the parliament; and 5 per cent quota for them in first class public jobs and higher educational institutions. 

Bangladesh Adivasi Forum vice president Ajay A Mree said that if their demands were not met they would wage for stronger movement.

Earlier on January 15, more than a dozen demonstrators, mostly students, while they were protesting in the capital under the banner of Sangkhubdhho Adivasi Chhatra-Janata demanding restoration of the word ‘Adivasi’ in the textbooks, were injured in attacks by a platform named Students for Sovereignty.

Expressing solidarity, Manusher Jonno Foundation executive director Shaheen Anam said that incidents like attacks on the national minorities were deeply disappointing during the time of a government that came into being through an anti-discrimination movement.

‘Our constitution provides equal rights of all people. Why then in this new Bangladesh the adivasis will continue to be deprived of their rights?’ she asked.

Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman alleged that the removal of the graffiti from the textbook following a discriminatory demand of an organisation was against the main spirit of the anti-discrimination movement.

‘We need to ask who are behind the force of this organisation,’ he said.

Iftekharuzzaman, also head of the recently-formed Anti-Corruption Reform Commission, said, ‘I strongly believe that almost all the advisers in this government gave full consent to the demand of the rights and identity of the adivasis at some point.’

He added, ‘I believe they are still holding it in their hearts.’  

Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said that even after requests the interim government did not form any reform commission for the national minorities.

Abu Sayeed Khan, advisory editor of national daily Samakal, alleged that a mob realm was established in the country after the ouster of the autocratic realm.

Citing the recent attacks on the shrines, national minorities and women, he asked, ‘We want action from the government.’

Bangladesh Adivasi Chhatra Sangram Parishad president Alik Mree alleged that the police had arrested only three people in the January 15 incident which was unacceptable.

Socialist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz, Ganosamhati Andolan executive coordinator Abul Hasan Rubel, Dhaka University professor Khairul Islam Chowdhury, Bangladesh Adivasi Juba Forum vice president Tony Chiran, and Parbatya Chattagram Pahari Chhatra Parishad leader Jagadish Chakma spoke, among others, expressed solidarity with the demands raised by the national minorities.