BIPNet’s Shylet regional meeting held at Shreemangal, Shylet, Bangladesh

Shreemangal, Shylet 24 November, 2015: A regional meeting was held in Magurchara Punji, Shreemangal, Shylet region on 24 November, 2015. Participants came from different part of shylet region in the meeting. During the meeting they had organized a full day mela and different type of traditional competition. The meeting participants in general have expressed their concern over the increasing numbers of incidents of alienation, discrimination in access to resources and negligence, disrespect and non-recognition of the customary practices of the indigenous peoples in all over the country. These are causing more of poverty and vulnerability within the communities. Participants also expressed deep concern over the initiatives of tourism by the various government and private agencies in Shylet, Rangamati and Bandarban hill district, which may lead to lose of the community’s customary land ownership, traditional livelihood and dilute their culture and practices. Many of them raise questions about the tourism initiatives for whom?