ABSTRACT
Today’s Bangladesh is divided along the lines of politics, gender, ethnicity and, of course, communal identities. The worst victims of this divisive experience have been the Adivasis or ethnic minorities, who have genuine reason to feel excluded from the so-called Bangladeshi identity. Similarly, the Adivasis of the Garo Hills and north-west Bangladesh have been further marginalized as they constitute much smaller numbers. Most of their customary land rights have been violated. In addition, because of the overriding emphasis on religious identities, religious minorities, including Hindus and Christians, and various types of Adivasis were discriminated against even more. This exclusionary state of Pakistan resorted to a political process which was anti-democratic, centralized and inegalitarian for its own survival. The lack of information, in fact, has also condemned these communities to retain many prejudice, suffer ill-health, adverse nutritional conditions and bad hygiene. All this is resulting in a great degree of marginalization and also corroding the Adivasi social fabric.
