BCABA cogratualation to Govt. of Australia

The Hon Kevin Rudd MP March 5, 2008
Prime Minister Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Australia

Subject: Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples

Sir,

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We are deeply moved on listening to the speech in highest public forum – the Parliament of Australia by you, Mr. Kevin Rudd MP, the Honorable Prime Minister of Australia, on the Apology to Indigenous Peoples of Australia. It indicates not only your personal honesty and generosity, but also the greatness of your Government, your party, and the peoples of Australia. In the history of mankind, it is a milestone. With this initiative, you have set up an example that humanity is above all of our conduct; all of our efforts are to the service of mankind, to uphold the humanity. We do commend and pay our highest honor and gratitude to you and the people of Australia for this act of your kindness and realization. We hope and look ahead that this initiative will create the environment more congenial in between the indigenous populations and non-indigenous populations of Australia leading to build an exemplary great country where your name will be placed and remembered with honor and dignity in the world history.

We know the Australians have shown sympathy beyond their national boundary. Australians started to educate the indigenous peoples of not only in their own country, but also in other countries of the world; and Bangladesh is one of them since 1980s. Australian Government started allocating scholarships to Bangladeshi students since 1980s with special quota for students from indigenous population hailing from Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) region. This is a unique program in the world where a considerable number of scholarships is earmarked only for students from indigenous population. We are grateful to the Australian Government for such gracious activities. We do hope and plea that this program will continue by the Government of Australia; and other developed countries will follow the same in future.

In this occasion, we have the privilege to urge Your Honor, the Prime Minister, not to limit such noble ideology in your own country. It should be widened to other countries as well where millions of indigenous people are suffering from deprivation of basic human rights and needs, eviction from their own lands, loosing their culture and heritage, and passing their lives in inhuman conditions; and the condition of Bangladeshi Indigenous Populations is of no exception.

In fine, we do hope and earnestly call upon you, Hon Kevin Rudd MP, the Prime Minister of Australia, Government of Australia, and the citizens of Australia to take active role in spreading your ideology worldwide in order to save and free the lives of indigenous populations from utmost exploitation, deprivation and extinction.

May Lord Buddha bless you, the Government of Australia, and the citizens of Australia for peace and prosperous future in the years to come

Best regards.


(Kirti Ranjan Chakma)
President

Copy to:

Mr. Doug Foskett
Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh
184 Gulshan AvenueGulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Ms. Geeta Pasi
Charge De’ Affaires, a.i
US Embassy, Dhaka, Bangladesh;

Dr. Stefan Frowein
Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Bangladesh
House 7, Road 84, Gulshan 2Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh;

Ms. Renata Lok-Dessalien
UN Resident Coordinator to Bangladesh
C/O UNDPG.P.O Box No. 224, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz
Chief
Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous IssuesUnited Nations, 2 UN PlazaRoom DC2-1772, New York, NY, 10017