A decision has been taken to identify 82 thousand landless families of indigenous minorities as refugees and provide rehabilitation in the Chittagong hill tracts. However, there are no Bengali families among this, which has disconcerted many.
Bengalis of the hill areas have termed this list prejudiced, calling for its cancellation.
Meanwhile, the task-force chairman in charge of making the list said: “this is not the final version.”
Bengali leaders say that due to the Kaptai hydro power plant and attacks by Jana Sanghati Samity, PSJSS, thousands of Bengali families became destitute.
The leaders lament that none of these families found a place in the list.
As the list was not cancelled, workers and activists of the organisations carried out protest rallies.
President of the Hill Tracts Bengali Students’ Council, Md. Lokman Hossain, said: “more than 50 thousand Bengali families left their homesteads between 1980 and 1997.”
They are now living a life of degradation in cluster villages, he added.
The three circles of the hill tracts, regional council and the ministry are led by indigenous leaders, he said and deplored: if everything is led by indigenous people then what will happen to the Bengalis?
Fifth chairman of the taskforce and MP from Khagrachari, Kujendra Lal Tripura, says: “though we cannot rehabilitate Bengalis through the task force, the government is thinking about their rehabilitation.”
If needed, rehabilitation of the Bengalis will be carried out through the ministry of disaster and relief, he added.
“Prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s vision 2041 outlines the assurance of basic rights for every citizen; therefore, no one will be left a refugee.”