"Eco-Park will destroy the ecological balance of Madhupur Forest area and force the indigenous people to leave their own land," said Sanjib Drong, secretary general of the forum while addressing a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in the city.

"Madhupur Eco-Park is not a project for forest conservation, rather it is a project of massive corruption," he added.

Sanjib said the indigenous people are frequently accused of being involved in anti-state activities, although they are fighting only for establishing their rights on their own land.

"Listed criminals are easily released on bail but the 'innocent' indigenous people are never granted bail," he regretted.

Sanjib alleged that the indigenous people in other parts of the country are also subjected to harassment due to encroachment to their lands by vested quarters.

He also demanded the establishment of the constitutional rights of the indigenous people.

Prof Mejbah Kamal of Dhaka University (DU) said the government is creating a situation that has forced the indigenous people to leave the country.

"We have failed to establish the country as a non-communal state even after three decades of independence, " he added.

DU Professor H K Arefin condemned the government's 'inhuman' attitude to country's indigenous people.

Nirmal Chatterji, general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra Jubo Oikya Parishad, said there is hardly any representation of minority communities in any state affairs although the government always termed the country a non-communal state.

The forum leaders said they will announce their next course of action from a grand rally at Madhupur on August 2 if the government does not meet their demands.

Earlier, they paid tribute to Pinen Snal who was killed in police firing on January 3 while protesting the construction of a boundary wall for the proposed Madhupur Eco-Park Project.

Garo leaders Albert Mankin and Rajesh Rema and Gono Forum Presidium Member Pankaj Bhattacharya also addressed the rally.