Five hundred citizens including teachers, students, indigenous and political activists today condemned the NCTB's decision to remove an image of graffiti featuring the word "indigenous" (Adivasi in Bangla) from textbooks' back cover.

The graffiti was removed after an organisation called "Students for Sovereignty" protested against it.

Such action by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) not only disregards the identity and rights of indigenous people of Bangladesh but also directly contradicts the anti-discrimination spirit of the July uprising, they said.

The citizens demanded that the graffiti containing the term "indigenous" must be reinstated in the textbooks and indigenous culture and history should be accurately represented in them.

The signatories included researchers, teachers, students, activists, as well as indigenous, political, and cultural advocates.

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NCTB removes 'Adivasi' graffiti from textbook after protests

In the statement, they said that since the independence of Bangladesh, indigenous communities have faced decades of oppression, including displacement from their lands, the erasure of their cultural identity and contributions to society, and exclusion from political representation.

Furthermore, the refusal to recognise them as "indigenous" in the constitution, labelling them instead as "tribal" or "small ethnic groups," has demeaned their status and denied their rights, they said.

The statement said former prime minister Sheikh Hasina exacerbated this marginalisation by enacting the Small Ethnic Groups Cultural Institutions Act, 2010, solidifying this discriminatory framework.

"At a time when we aim to establish a pluralistic and democratic society following the mass uprising, the textbook board's decision, influenced by the opinions of a few students, is reckless and undemocratic," the statement said.

What is even more concerning is that NCTB's decision aligns with the fascist policies of the Awami League that structurally negate the existence of indigenous people, as entrenched in the 15th constitutional amendment. This act is a blatant approval of efforts to erase indigenous communities systematically, it added.

They said that the hasty decision made by NCTB, seemingly under pressure from one or more groups, highlights the lack of transparency in its decision-making process.

They urge NCTB to acknowledge its discriminatory actions against indigenous communities, apologise, and actively participate in establishing Bangladesh as a pluralistic state and society.

The signatories said that the spirit of the July uprising stands as a testament to resistance against oppression and discrimination. Any step that undermines the dignity and rights of indigenous peoples in this country is a betrayal of that very spirit.

They called upon all citizens, activists, and organisations to unite against such hateful actions.

The signatories include Dhaka University teachers Gitiara Nasreen, Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, Kamal Chowdhury, Samina Luthfa and Rushad Faridi, Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua, Advisor to the Chakma Circle Rani Yen Yen; human rights activist Rayhan Rhyne, pro-vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Open University Sayeed Ferdous.