Though Bangladesh has made significant progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and joined the ranks of lower middle income countries,the successes do not have any reflection in the lives and livelihoods of the indigenous people, an Adivasi leader said yesterday.

Rather, the indigenous people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), also from plain land, are suffering from lack of security and safety and some vulnerable communities have started migrating to neighbouring countries, said Jyotirindra  Bodhipriya Larma, alias Santu Larma, the president of the Forum for Indigenous Peoples of Bangladesh.

Larma expressed the grievances at a press conference organised by the Forum on the occasion of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on August 9 and placed a 10-point demand including their constitutional recognition as "indigenous people", full implementation of the 1997 CHT Peace Accord, and solving their land disputes in the CHT and plain land.

This year, the day has the theme, "Post 2015 Agenda: Ensuring Indigenous Peoples' Health and

Well-being", as healthcare remains a critical challenge for indigenous communities.

Larma said whatever the per capita income as claimed by the government, it was not reflected in the lives of the indigenous people.

"Even now the existence of indigenous peoples in the country is under threat due to land grabbing, repression, torture, violation of human rights."

He said as the government had been showing apathy to the indigenous peoples, they were falling victim to land grabbing and torture and harassment.

Last year, there were seven communal attacks on indigenous peoples, and this year 15 indigenous people were killed including seven women, while 126 others were physically assaulted, Larma said.

Citing a study of Kappaeng Foundation, Santu Larma said over 500 indigenous people from 150 families from Alikadam-Thanchi, Bandarban had migrated to Myanmar due to lack of security and 300 others of 60 families from the northern regions to India facing attacks and threats by land grabbers recently.

In a written statement, he said they were still fighting for getting the status of being indigenous in the constitution.

Though the government ratified the ILO (International Labour Organization) Convention 107 that deals with the rights of indigenous people, it did not formulate any law regarding this to protect their rights, according to the statement.

Despite having an opportunity in 2011 during the 15th amendment to the constitution to recognise their rights, the government failed to do that, Santu Larma said.

Rather, in Article 23 (a) of the constitution, the indigenous people were referred to as "tribes, minor races, ethnic sects and communities," which indigenous people did not accept, he said.

The Adivasi leader said the government denying them the recognition had put their land rights, culture, traditions, lifestyle and the right to be part of the development process under great uncertainty.

Regarding land rights, Larma said 3,911 acres of land was acquired by the government in the CHT in 2014 while 84,647 acres was under process of grabbing or acquisition.

The Department of Forest is also trying to take over 218,000 acres of land belonging to indigenous people announcing it as a "reserved" forest in the CHT, he added.

Adivasi leader Sanjeeb Drong, politician Pankaj Bhattachariya, columnist Syed Abdul Maksud, and Prof Mesbah Kamal spoke at the programme, at Sundarban Hotel in the capital.