With the theme “Our land, our rights, come forward to protect the lives and traditions of indigenous peoples”, International Day of Indigenous Peoples was celebrated on August 9 (Sunday) afternoon in Gora Amkhola Para, Kuakata, Patuakhali. The meeting was organized by the non-governmental development organization Caritas at the Rakhine Community Center in Amkhola Para. A rally was taken out to mark the day. The rally went around Bijoy Rama Buddhist Vihara and Rakhine Para on the Alipur-Gora Amkhola Para road and ended at the Rakhine Community Center. A discussion meeting was held after the rally.
The discussion meeting was chaired by Patuakhali Rakhine Buddhist Welfare Association President Mong Talukder and was addressed by Pavel Partha, a researcher of life and nature. Special guests included Anwar Hossain Anu, former president of Kuakata Press Club, Kazi Sayeed, president of Kuakata Television Journalist Forum, Jamal Hossain, Caritas Project Coordinator, Angkochan, Rakhine Buddhist Welfare Association Office Secretary, member Methus, Samakal correspondent Asaduzzaman Miraj, and others. Bangladesh Indigenous Forum Central Member Mongmya delivered the welcome speech.
More than a hundred Rakhine men and women from different neighborhoods participated in it. The speakers said that the Rakhines should come forward to protect the land rights, socio-cultural, agricultural culture, and improve the quality of life of the Rakhine people. This indigenous community is in existential crisis today. Those who have built settlements across vast forests and made them habitable are now foreigners in their own land. They also said that everyone should come forward to protect the history, tradition, and civil rights of the Rakhine people. Otherwise, the tradition will eventually disappear.