LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today called upon the small ethnic groups to stay vocal always to realize their demands and rights.

He made the call at a distribution ceremony of allocation letters for houses, sewing machines, bicycles, and education stipends among members of small ethnic communities here.

These were distributed made under "Development Assistance for Special Areas (excluding Chittagong Hill Tracts)" programme of the Prime Minister's Office for the fiscal year 2025-26.

Fakhrul, also BNP secretary general, said the BNP government is committed to ensuring rights of all the people irrespective of castes, creeds and ethnicities.

He also referred that the party has nominated Anna Minj, a woman leader from a small ethnic group and a distinguished daughter of Thakurgaon, as a Member of Parliament. 

BNP has selected representatives from all marginalized communities, including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, hill communities, and other disadvantaged groups, he added.

He further said that special attention would be given so that no one could forcibly take away the land of indigenous people.

He said during the past 15-16 years of fascist misrule, all democratic institutions and infrastructure of the country had been destroyed. 

As a result, the government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has to start everything anew, he said adding that after overcoming the situation, BNP has taken several landmark initiatives.

He mentioned women's empowerment and poverty reduction through the Family Card programme, helping farmers become self-reliant through the Farmers' Card programme, and excavating dried-up rivers and canals to preserve water for agriculture during drought seasons as some of these initiatives.

Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila Administration organized the event at the Upazila Auditorium with Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rafiqul Haque in the chair.

District BNP President Mirza Faisal Amin and General Secretary Poygam Ali, government officials and other leaders and workers of local units of BNP and its associate bodies were present. 

According to the Sadar Upazila Office, allocations were distributed among small ethnic communities of the upazila as follows: Houses for 10 people: Tk 45,75,285, Bicycles for 49 people: Tk 5,76,485, Sewing machines for 33 people: Tk 3,88,231, Education stipends for 326 students: Tk 14,34,000.

A total of 418 people received assistance amounting to Tk 69,74,001.