Several indigenous Catholic and tribal leaders in central Bangladesh have cautioned the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government about the potential for a more robust protest movement if a disputed forest development project is not withdrawn. The Madhupur forest project in Tangail district, which includes plans for an artificial lake and an eco-park, is contested by the Garo and Koch Indigenous peoples who claim it could lead to their eviction from ancestral lands they have occupied for generations.
Toni Chiran, President of the Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum, voiced concerns at a protest rally on March 6 in Madhupur, where hundreds of indigenous students and community members gathered to oppose the project. Chiran emphasized that the construction of the artificial lake and eco-park could dispossess indigenous people of their agricultural land, devastate natural forests, and jeopardize the traditional way of life for the Garo and other indigenous communities.
The report revealed that the Bangladesh government initially proposed the artificial lake and eco-park in the Madhupur forest in 2000. Following a fatal incident in 2004 where a Garo man was killed by police gunfire during a protest, the project was temporarily halted. However, in 2026, authorities revived the plan and have already commenced excavation in the designated area. Indigenous leaders view this project as part of a broader strategy to displace tribal communities from the region.
Janoki Chisim, Secretary of the Garo Indigenous Student Union, expressed to EWTN News that the project would not only be detrimental to the forest but also unjust to the people reliant on it for their sustenance. Chisim advocated for the preservation of the forest in its natural state, emphasizing the historical presence of the Garo and Koch Indigenous people in the area. He warned of a potential strong movement in the future if the customary land rights of the tribals are not safeguarded.
