He made these remarks during a meeting with representatives of small ethnic groups from the plain lands at the Public Administration meeting room of the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat on Thursday (July 16).
The Prime Minister said that the country is currently going through a difficult time. Everyone must work unitedly to tackle this situation. He informed that the government is taking initiatives to solve various problems gradually.
Referring to the small ethnic groups as an integral part of the country, Tarique Rahman said that the government is working to build a happy, prosperous and discrimination-free Bangladesh, where there will be no discrimination against any community or group.
In the meeting, representatives of the small ethnic groups demanded the formation of a separate land commission, constitutional recognition of indigenous people, ensuring land ownership, establishing a central cultural center, loan facilities for small traders, and stopping evictions in the name of various development projects and reserved forests.
After listening to their statements attentively, the Prime Minister assured them of the government's sincerity in solving the problems.
Criticizing the previous Awami League government, the Prime Minister said that a generation has been destroyed. He mentioned the contributions of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in the development of upazila health complexes. He also informed about the plan to upgrade upazila hospitals to 101 beds.
He further said that initiatives have been taken to increase the allocation for the health sector in the 2026-27 fiscal year and to reduce taxes on essential medical supplies including kidney dialysis and heart rings.
Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Small Ethnic Groups Bijan Kanti Sarkar, Reserved Seat Member of Parliament Anna Minj, cultural activist Sanjib Drong, and representatives of 18 small ethnic groups from 17 districts were present at the meeting.
