About Us

Introduction:

Indigenous Mandi (Garo) inhabitants of Modhupur Forest area have been living there since Aryan civilization, in harmony with the environment. Since, 1962 after declaration of Modhupur Forest as National Park all most all the successive regime tried to evict them without paying attention to their land rights claim and paying eligible compensation but failed as a result of Mandi Peoples’ continuous resistance. Despite this eviction attempt till 1982 many Mandi paid their land revenue taxes on a regular basis. But in 1983 through a gazette notification, government suddenly stopped to receive the land revenue taxes from the Mandi Peoples’ of Modhupur forest area without any prior consultation and in 1984 through an another gazette notification government listed 42,767.76 acres of forest land under the section-6 of the Forest Act, 1927, as result much Garo Peoples’ lands were put under the forest land category without notifying to the tenants.

The Department of Forest considers, indigenous Garo Peoples’ as the legal squatters and they are being accused for illegal woodcutting and encroachment. As a result beside deprivation of land rights they are also suffering from thousands of cases field by the above-mentioned department.

Local concern groups have also claimed that the Forest Department has been falsely accusing the indigenous community of illegal wood cutting, “trespassing” in the forest, raising crops on forest land, and even of stealing cement, bricks, etc apparently in an attempt to force them from the forest. The Garo Peoples’ also claim that false charges were filed to hide the Department’s decimation of the forest in collaboration with rich and influential people.

Brief description of the organization:

The “Jayenshahi Adivasi Unnoyon Parishad” is a social, non-political and human rights based indigenous people organization, namely Garo, Koch and Barmans of Madhupur and Ghatail U.Z. in Tangail district and Muktagacha, Fulbaria and Bhaluka U.Z. of Mymensingh district (known as Madhupur Garh) and Adibashi Garo call it ‘ABIMA’ means land of mother. Since formed in 1962, Adivasi Parishad engaged itself in the works of protection of rights and promotion of the lives of the Adivasi (indigenous) of the above mentioned areas. It extends its supports to those areas where human rights are violated and oppressed and economically and socially helpless to redress them. It has 11 executive committee members that meet once a month. It has 15 regional committees with 15 members. Established in 2^nd March, 1962, seeks to promote a better understanding among the indigenous people of Bangladesh. Founder of the organization is Late Poresh Ch. Mree who locally known as a king of the ‘ABIMA’ Garos. After declaration of National Park in 1962 by Pakistan Govt. in Madhupur area and traditionally forest dweller indigenous people are almost become evicted from their ancestral land then Garo leaders become united and start their struggle for survival through this organization till now. We are working with about 25,000 (twenty five thousand) indigenous peoples (Garo and Cochs) in the area.

Goal: Promotion of Adivasi Culture and Committed for Biodiversity Preservation.

Mission:

Our mission is recognition, promotion and protection of indigenous peoples’ rights and aspirations while building unities to uphold social and environmental justice and sustainability & organized people, trained up people and work with people.

Vision:

All over the country and global indigenous people will get justice for their suffering.

Aim & Objectives:

{ Establishment of political, social, Economical, religious and legal rights.

{ Relation building with national and international communities Cooperation building among

     the indigenous institution in the local area

{ Promotion of Adivasi people’s Fundamental and human rights

{ Promotion of traditional Adivasi culture and practices

{ Enhancement of unity among indigenous people

{ Establishment of Land rights through training and awareness building 

{ Preservation of Environment

Main Program of the Organization:

F Social conflict Resolution:    
4Mediation among the conflict creators    
4Motivation

    
4Conflict resolution by Local Salish

F Preservation of Adivasi Land Right:
4Legal support

4Land management training & workshop 
4 Campaign

F Preservation of Environment:   
4 Sharing            
4 Training      
4 Campaign

4 Encouraged farmer viable & environment friendly farming by local knowledge 

F Legal Support to the Adivasi people:   
4 Training & workshop

4 Link with the like minded organization  
4 Campaign

F Lobby & Advocacy 
4Networking 
4Campaign 
4Demonstration

F Research   
4Up date data collection 
4Dissemination 4Promotion for new idea

F Promotion of Adivasi Culture 
4Collection          
4Demonstration        
4Publication

F Protection of Adivasi Women & Child Rights

   
4Legal support, training & linkage with like minded organization

F Disaster Management         
4Training       
4Logical support

Present constrain of the organization:

• No enough space for community people trainings
• Lack of  Co-workers to reach the remote places
• Modern electronics equipment not available for documentation and preservation
• Relevant books of reference and information are not available
• Indigenous professional resource persons are not enough

Opportunity of the Organization:

• Own Office
• Local Peoples support
• Good relation and network with like minded organization
• Well known to Government agencies
• Well organized regional committee
• Communication and relation with general people Day by day increased.
• Scope of Local fund creation for development