Rangamati, Sept 11 (V7N) – Concerned students and citizens of Rangamati district organized a human chain and protest rally Wednesday against the use of the term “indigenous” in a 194-page media reform report recommended by the current government’s Media Reform Commission. The protest demanded that the term be removed and replaced with “minority ethnic groups” in accordance with historical and legal records.
 
The program was held at Rangamati Municipality grounds under the initiative of local student activists. Kazi Mojibur Rahman, chairman of the central committee of PCNP, attended as the chief guest. The protest was presided over by Tajul Islam Taj, president of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Student Council (PCCP) Rangamati unit, and organized by Parvez Mosharraf Hossain. Kamal Uddin, convener of the Equal Rights Movement, delivered the main speech. Other prominent participants included PCNP Rangamati district president Mohammad Solaiman, general secretary Md. Ibrahim, co-vice president Kazi Jaloa, senior central co-vice president Asif Iqbal, organizational secretary Rasel Mahmud, joint secretary Habib Al Mahmud, and other local leaders.
 
Speakers argued that the use of “indigenous” in the report, particularly on pages 113, 146, 147, and 148, constitutes a deliberate attempt to challenge national sovereignty. They claimed that some local tribal elements and left-leaning organizations are conspiring to use the term to promote separatist agendas and potentially establish an independent “Jummaland.” Historical evidence, they stated, indicates that the ethnic groups in the Chittagong Hill Tracts are not indigenous to Bangladesh but migrated from neighboring countries including Burma, India, Tibet, Tripura, Mizoram, and China in the 18th century. According to them, only ethnic Bengalis are the original inhabitants of the region under the Bangladesh Constitution (Article 23A).
 
Protesters demanded that the Media Reform Commission remove the term “indigenous” and use “minority ethnic groups/tribal communities” throughout the report to prevent misrepresentation and potential separatist claims. They warned that failure to comply could lead to intensified civil action across the three hill districts.
 
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