Bangladesh retains hill tribes, non secular minorities out of constitutional reform course of: rights group

College students of Mog neighborhood below the banner of “Mog College students Welfare Society” manage a protest towards the assault and killing of indigenous folks and college students in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh in Agartala. | Picture credit score: ANI

GUWAHATI

Bangladesh’s interim authorities led by Mohammed Yunus is excluding the indigenous folks of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and non secular minorities from the constitutional reform course of, a human rights group based mostly in Bangladesh stated on Thursday (Oct 10, 2024). New Delhi.

The Rights and Danger Evaluation Group (RRAG) identified the challenges confronted by non-Muslims in Bangladesh in a report titled “Conflicts in Bangladesh and Myanmar: the risk to regional peace and safety‘ which was introduced by way of a briefing for the diplomatic neighborhood in New Delhi.

Additionally learn: Human rights group alleges Bangladesh military was inactive whereas indigenous folks attacked in CHT

RRAG director Suhas Chakma stated the Bangladesh authorities notified a nine-member Constitutional Reform Fee on October 6 with out together with representatives of hill tribes within the CHT or non secular minorities.

“Just one lady, Professor Sumaiya Khair, was included, violating the fundamental spirit of the Jatiya Sangsad (Seats Reserved for Girls) Act 2004, which reserves seats for girls,” he stated.

“The worldview of Mohammed Yunus, who has grow to be the gentle face of Islamists in Bangladesh, is the exclusion of weak communities. That exclusion was not made by former president SM Ershad or former prime ministers Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina,” Chakma stated.

Coordinated assaults

The RRAG report highlighted the intensification of human rights violations below Dr. Yunus’ authorities within the CHT. He stated that from September 19 to October 1, unlawful plains settlers and the Bangladesh military organized assaults on indigenous folks in Dighinala, Khagrachari and Rangmati districts.

“The Bangladesh military and unlawful settlers particularly attacked outlets and different industrial institutions of indigenous folks within the cities,” says the report, which lists 75 injured indigenous folks and 142 homes, outlets and different industrial institutions, properties and temples. Buddhists. which had been looted, destroyed and burned.

“Following these assaults, throughout the CHT, hill tribes have been successfully pushed out of the world. upazila/subdistrict and district markets dominated by unlawful settlers from the plain. “Indigenous folks have been successfully prohibited from collaborating in financial actions within the city areas of the CHT because of segregation, communal tensions and partisan regulation enforcement and administration companies,” the report says.

The RRAG known as on the diplomatic neighborhood to strain the Bangladesh authorities to incorporate indigenous peoples and non secular minorities within the constitutional reform course of, acknowledge their rights within the nation’s proposed new structure, and grant constitutional standing to the CHT. He additionally known as for an investigation by the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights to analyze human rights violations within the nation till October 1.

Diplomats from Sri Lanka, Slovenia, Canada, Switzerland, Finland, the European Workplace for Civil Safety and Humanitarian Assist Operations, Guyana, Russia, the Netherlands, Kenya, the Philippines, Laos, Mongolia and Zambia participated within the briefing. Different contributors included former Indian ambassador Gautam Mukhopadhyay, former excessive commissioner Veena Sikri and former ambassador Nengcha Lhouvum Mukhopadhyay, in addition to representatives of the Carnegie Endowment for Worldwide Peace.