SHILLONG: As many as 75 indigenous communities in Bangladesh, including Khasis and Garos, are yet to be recognised by the country’s constitution.
When asked about the status of tribes like Khasis, Garos and Chakmas in Bangladesh, Professor Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University, who was present at the international seminar on ‘Understanding the Tribes of Asia’ at Synod College, said, “They are a part and parcel of Bangladesh but we have discrepancies in our constitution. They are different communities and their identity should be recognized as there is the problem in the Constitution of Bangladesh of Bangladesh since 1972.”
The professor said the 4.2 million indigenous people in Bangladesh are recognised as Bengalis.
“When Bangladesh was born, all joined in the struggle for liberation but that has not been recognised. After a long struggle in 2011, the 15th amendment of the constitution had introduced Article 3 (a) to recognise the indigenous people,” he said and added that this is a partial recognition as the rights of the people need to be protected.
Pointing out that there is no constitutional provision for the recognition of traditional land rights and the customary practices of the indigenous people in Bangladesh, he said there are land grabbers as traditional land ownership is not recognised. “The Khasis are under the headmen and the headmen represent the Khasi properties which are not recognised by the Bangladesh government and as a result the Khasi lands are being grabbed,” he added.
According to him, the government there uses the word “Upojati” to define the tribes which is not liked by the indigenous people, especially the Garos.
For Kamal, the solution to the ongoing struggle of the indigenous people – which include Khasis, Garos, Chakmas, Santhals and Oraons, among others – is to amend the constitution. “There is a need for collective action to pursue the matters pertaining to land rights, language rights and traditional forest rights.”
Kamal also said there are over 2 lakh Garos in Bangladesh who are also active in politics. The Khasi population is around 20,000 but Kamal said the census in his country is faulty. “The Khasis claim that they would be around fifty thousand. The Khasis and Jaintias are together.”
