Reducing inequality can secure fairness

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said that reducing inequality and ensuring fairness stand as fundamental conditions for peace in any region. Otherwise, instability and discontent remain inevitable, he warned.

Speaking about the inclusion of indigenous communities in social safety programmes, he said it is clear that fairness has not been achieved in this area. Many indigenous applicants even end up paying bribes of Tk500 to Tk1,000 to be included, he said.

He made the remarks at a press conference at TIB’s Dhanmondi office in the MIDAS Centre on Sunday. TIB organised the event to release its research report titled “Inclusion of Indigenous Communities in Social Safety Programmes: Challenges of Good Governance and Way Forward.” TIB research fellow Razia Sultana presented the findings.

The report stated that although indigenous communities experience significantly higher poverty rates than the national average, they receive inadequate priority in the social security system.

It found shortcomings in laws and policies regarding indigenous-friendly guidelines, complex application and documentation requirements, lack of representation in policy-making and budgeting, limited access to information, language barriers, and reluctance within complaint mechanisms — all of which contribute to their exclusion. Only one in five eligible indigenous individuals manages to secure a place on beneficiary lists.

The report further noted that for indigenous groups living in the plains, limited outreach of social safety initiatives, weak political representation, and insufficient educational and technological capacity remain major obstacles.

In the hill regions, the lack of dedicated programmes, geographical barriers, language difficulties, limited access to information, and lack of capacity among responsible authorities have restricted inclusion even further.