International CHT Commission: Government bans term "Indigenous" on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2022

Written on 09 August 2022. Posted in News

Press Statement

3 August 2022

The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission is shocked to learn about the government’s prohibition on using the term “Indigenous” before the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2022.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh has recently issued a circular directing all the electronic media of Bangladesh not to use the term 'indigenous.' The Commission finds this position by the Ministry very undemocratic, derogatory to the indigenous peoples, and a serious threat to the freedom of speech of the country's citizens.

The official notice (memo number- 15.00.0000.028.18.183.14.596), signed by Deputy Secretary Sheikh Samsur Rahman, asks the electronic media that the university professors, experts, newspaper editors, and other members of the civil society do not use the term 'indigenous' in any TV talk-shows arranged on 9 August 2022, on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Such a directive from the Ministry is utterly disrespectful towards the indigenous communities and violates the freedom of the indigenous peoples of Bangladesh to self-identify themselves as indigenous. Article 33 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states, "Indigenous peoples have the right to determine their own identity or membership in accordance with their customs and traditions."

According to the directive, the media should refrain from using the term 'indigenous' as it is not constitutionally approved. However, there is no such law or restriction in the constitution of Bangladesh that the word 'indigenous' cannot be used. Instead, various laws of the country, on many occasions, have interchangeably used the words 'Indigenous,' 'Aboriginal,' and 'Adibashi (in Bangla)'¹ to refer to the indigenous peoples of Bangladesh. For example, the Honourable Supreme Court of Bangladesh recognized the word 'indigenous' in the verdict of Sampriti Chakma v. Commissioner of Customs (5 BLC, AD, 2000: 29). Various government policies and guidelines² mention the word 'Adibashi (indigenous).' In the 2008 election manifesto, Bangladesh Awami League used the term 'indigenous'; and more notably, in the near past, our Honourable Prime Minister greeted the indigenous peoples of Bangladesh on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, and used the term 'indigenous' a few times.

This particular circular from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting mentions a letter dated 04.07.2022 (number 22) from the headquarter of the Intelligence unit of the Armed Forces Division as the source of the notice. The Commission finds it very disturbing and undemocratic that the Army Intelligence unit provides direction on issues like this. The Commission worryingly noticed that when it comes to the affairs of indigenous peoples of Bangladesh, particularly the indigenous peoples of CHT, the Intelligence unit of the Armed Forces Division (AFD) often issues discriminatory and racist circulars against the indigenous people.

The CHT Commission urges the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh to withdraw the recent circular immediately. The CHT Commission recommends the Bangladesh government ratifies the ILO Convention 169 and endorses the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to uphold the distinct identity, traditions, and rights of the indigenous peoples of Bangladesh. The Commission also asks the Bangladesh government to end the de facto military rule, "Operation Uttaran (Operation Upliftment)" immediately in CHT.

On behalf of the CHT Commission,

Members: Shapan Adnan, Lars Anders Baer, Tone Bleie, Bina D’Costa, Hurst Hannum, Yasmeen Haque, Sara Hossain, Zafar Iqbal, Khushi Kabir, Michael van Walt van Praag, Iftekharuzzaman.

Advisers: Jenneke Arens, Tom Eskildsen, Meghna Guhathakurta.

¹ Finance Act, 2010; Small Ethnic Communities Cultural Institutions Act, 2010; Finance Act, 1995.
² National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction 2009, Fifth Five Year Plan Bangladesh, Bangladesh National Health Policy, Bangladesh National Education Policy, and so on.

Tags: Press releases