Indigenous Peoples Development Services IPDS formed a network of volunteers to collect data about the livelihoods situation of indigenous peoples, their access to government relief efforts, the availability of PPE particularly to indigenous female nurses, etc. Insights gained during the IPDS study—in particular, the finding that 62% of the ethnic minorities in Bangladesh’s plains were pushed into extreme poverty—were widely covered in the media.
Intervention, findings and advocacy efforts:
IPDS is an organisation that works mainly for the protection and promotion of Bangladesh’s indigenous peoples community. As part of the project, they collected data from 1205 interviewees in the Mymensingh, Dhaka, Syihet, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Barisal divisions. Data collection was led by Indigenous peoples living in Dhaka city, including indigenous women working in beauty parlours and garment factories. At the end of the study, a press conference was conducted on 27 August 2020, with journalists from five leading daily newspapers in attendance. All five daily newspapers carried reports detailing the study.
On 20 August, during the project period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organised a webinar on the national implementation of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The President of IPDS raised the issue of indigenous peoples and their situation during the COVID 19 pandemic, and received assurances from the policy makers and government authorities present that indigenous issues would be included in the report.
On 29 July, IPDS had participated in another webinar, where Abdul Mannan, Bangladesh’s Minister of Planning, was present. The IPDS representative made a presentation on the situation of Khasi and Garo indigenous peoples living in Sherpur and Moulvibazar districts, and raised the weakening health and economic situation due to COVID-19 and the resultant lockdown. A key finding, that around 92% of indigenous households surveyed reported decreased income during the lockdown, was shared with the Minister. The Minister assured IDPS that local administrative machinery would be mobilised to ensure the access of the indigenous community to government services.
IPDS made a report on the special situation of indigenous peoples living in the plain lands, and shared it with a number of indigenous organisations and NGOs.
Fazle Hossain Badsha, he Convener of the Parliamentary Caucus on Indigenous Peoples, Fazle, cited the IPDS report in various webinars and made recommendations to provide financial support for indigenous peoples faced difficulties because of corona outbreak.
The President of IPDS, as a member of the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) thematic group on Ethnic and Religious Minorities, made an appeal to the NHRC to provide support to indigenous vulnerable people. On 22 July, NHRC issued a letter to the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, along with the Deputy Commissioners of various districts. The demands raised by IPDS were mentioned in the letter.