Hill Voice, 27 August 2026, Special Correspondent: Like every year, this year too, Indigenous peoples in various parts of the country, including the Chittagong Hill Tracts, have tried to celebrate the International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples peacefully. Through these events, indigenous peoples have tried to highlight their unique cultural diversity, and through meetings, rallies, and processions, they have strongly raised various demands including constitutional recognition as Indigenous Peoples, implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord, ensuring the rights of Indigenous peoples to their land and territories, and protection of ethnic existence and security.
But along with these programs of the Indigenous peoples, a section of Muslim Bengalis has been seen organizing a series of counter-programme against the demand for recognition of Indigenous peoples and the use of the word ‘Indigenous’. In these programs, in the name of opposing the demand for Indigenous recognition, attempts have been made to spread widespread ethnic hatred, envy and lies against the Indigenous peoples. This has exposed the unjust hegemonic and ultra-nationalist attitude of the large Bengali population.
Among these elements opposing the demand for Indigenous recognition are various communal organizations of Bengali settlers who have illegally infiltrated into the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and worryingly, responsible individuals including two important ministers of the current government, former army officers, some university teachers and students have participated in these programs. The participation and support of such responsible individuals in such programs can be considered to further jeopardize the recognition of the rights and security of Indigenous peoples.
Some examples are briefly highlighted below:
Bengali settlers’ Organization: Before the scheduled date of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, on 6 August 2026, the Bengali settlers of the Chittagong Hill Tracts organized a human chain and protest rally at the premises of the Raju Sculpture of Dhaka University under the banner of ‘Parbatya Chattagram Chatra Parishad, Dhaka Metropolitan Branch and Dhaka University Branch’, raising fabricated allegations of ‘conspiracy against the sovereignty and national interests of the country under the guise of Indigenous recognition’. In this event, along with the settler leaders, former army officer retired Brigadier General Hasinur Rahman and Ziaul Haque, convener of the radical communal organization ‘Students for Sovereignty’, were present and delivered speeches against the Indigenous recognition and the CHT Accord. In this event, false and baseless statements were made and it was said that the small ethnic groups of the Chittagong Hill Tracts are not the son of the land or the original inhabitants of this country.
On 9 August 2026, a discussion meeting was organized at the Payra Chattar of TSC, University of Dhaka under the initiative of ‘Students for Sovereignty’. In this discussion meeting, it was mentioned that ‘Bengalis are the indigenous peoples in Bangladesh and with the help of foreigners, a conspiracy is being hatched to separate the Chittagong Hill Tracts and implement a Christian state by imposing demands of Indigenous recognition on small ethnic groups.’ On the same day, a so-called ‘protest rally against the conspiracy against the sovereignty and national interests of the country under the guise of demanding indigenous recognition of the Indigenous peoples of Bangladesh’ was organized under the banner of ‘Motherland Protection Movement’ in Shahbagh, Dhaka.
On 10 August 2026, a protest rally was held in front of the National Press Club under the initiative of the Bengali settlers’ organization ‘Parbatya Chattagram Nagorik Parishad’, where it was said that ‘anti-nation conspiracy is being carried out under the guise of Indigenous recognition’. In addition, there was a demand to cancel the ‘1900 Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation’, a monument to the historical rights of the Indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. In order to mislead the general Bengali people of the country and spread racial hatred, it was claimed that if Indigenous recognition is granted, the government will not exist in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the Indigenous peoples will be able to draw a separate map and the Bengalis of the Chittagong Hill Tracts will have to come to Dhaka with a passport.
Anti-Indigenous roundtable meeting with the participation of government party ministers and leaders: On 11 August 2026, a round table meeting titled ‘Indigenous Identity Irrelevant in Bangladesh’ was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Gulshan-2, Dhaka under the banner of the so-called ‘CHT Researchers Foundation’. The round table meeting was presided over by Mehedi Hasan Palash, Chairman of CHT Researchers Foundation and Editor of the online news portal ‘Parbatya News’, which is known to be backed by the army. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed was present as the chief guest, while Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Ahmed Swapan and State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam were present as special guests. In addition, many leaders and activists of the current ruling party BNP, settler organizations and other communal-minded political parties, former army officers were also present at the event.
At the event, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed denied the existence of Indigenous peoples in Bangladesh and said that there is no indigenous group in the country, but rather everyone is a resident of Bangladesh. On the other hand, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Ahmed Swapan said that the Indigenous identity that has developed internationally does not match Bangladesh’s experience. Former Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, Advocate Mohammad Tajul Islam, who participated in the same event, said that if small ethnic groups are recognized as Indigenous peoples, there is a risk of Bangladesh losing its state rights over the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Nowhere in the world: On 13 September 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by a large majority of 144 states. Only four countries, namely Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, voted against it. On the other hand, 11 countries, namely Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria, the Russian Federation, Samoa and Ukraine, abstained from voting. However, the four important countries that voted against later endorsed the Declaration..
The most notable thing is that nowhere in the world is there so much hatred, false statements, and hostile behavior displayed against the issue of the recognition of Indigenous peoples by the government and the people of major Muslim Bengali ethnic group in Bangladesh. On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, there are no anti-indigenous protests anywhere there. Even in neighboring India, which abstained from voting, no anti-indigenous programs are seen. This is the only country in the world where it is seen.
It is also worth noting that no truth in the claim made by opponents of recognition of Indigenous peoples in Bangladesh – ‘If indigenous peoples are recognized, Bangladesh’s sovereignty will be threatened, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts will be separated’ – is founded. Because so far, no country that ratified the Declaration on Indigenous Peoples has seen sovereignty eroded or indigenous peoples separated.
In fact, in order to cover up the injustices that have been going on against the Indigenous peoples for ages and to deny their just rights, communal and extremist Muslim Bengali nationalist groups continue to deny the recognition, true history, and traditions of the Indigenous peoples, which cannot be considered an honest perspective.