Bangladesh’s Santal Community Demands Justice and Land Rights Nine Years After Deadly Clashes

In northern Bangladesh, members of the Santal indigenous community gathered in Gaibandha district on Thursday to protest continued discrimination and demand justice on what they commemorate as Santal Killing Day. The demonstration marked nine years since three members of their community were killed during a violent clash over land rights.

The Santals, one of the oldest indigenous groups in Bangladesh, held the rally in front of the Gaibandha public library, joined by Bengali supporters and Christian activists. Organizers said more than 700 people attended the protest, which called for accountability for the 2016 killings and the return of ancestral land that has remained in dispute for decades.

The 2022 census records about 129,000 Santals in Bangladesh, though community leaders estimate the actual population to be closer to half a million. The majority of them are Christian and live primarily in the country’s northern districts.

On November 6, 2016, violence erupted when police opened fire on Santal protesters during a land rights demonstration, killing three men identified as Shyamal Hembram, Mangal Mardi, and Ramesh Tudu. Witnesses said that, alongside the shooting, attackers set fire to Santal homes, leaving hundreds of families displaced. Many of the assailants were reportedly linked to political figures from the ruling Awami League.

Each year since then, the community has observed the anniversary as Santal Killing Day, using the occasion to renew their demands for justice and land restitution. “We want justice for the murder of our three brothers, fair rights to our land, and the ability to live in Bangladesh with security and dignity,” said Philemon Baskey, convener of the Land Retrieval Committee. He said the community continues to face intimidation through public threats and messages sent to their phones.

The roots of the dispute stretch back decades. In 1956, under the former East Pakistan government, the state seized large tracts of fertile Santal farmland to build the Rangpur Sugar Mill under the Land Requisition Act. A 1962 agreement stated that the land would be returned to its original owners if it ceased being used for sugarcane cultivation. The mill stopped operations in 2004, but the land has never been returned.

In response, Santal farmers began occupying portions of the land to resume cultivation and built temporary homes nearby. Tensions with local authorities grew, culminating in the deadly confrontation in 2016.

Shamsul Huda, executive director of the Association for Land Reform and Development, said the Santals’ claim is legitimate. “The police opened fire indiscriminately to suppress their movement. Hundreds of families, including women and children, were left homeless when their houses were burned. Many still live in makeshift shelters,” he said.

Historians note that the Santals are among the earliest inhabitants of Bengal, belonging to the Austro-Asiatic group of pre-Aryan settlers. Despite their deep roots, they have long faced marginalization, often excluded from state benefits and representation.

Holy Cross Father Liton Hubert Gomes, secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh, called the lack of progress “deeply disappointing.” He urged the government to act swiftly. “It has been nine years, and the Santals are still waiting for justice. The state must prosecute those responsible and restore their land rights,” he said.

As the protest ended peacefully, participants vowed to continue their campaign until justice is served, saying their struggle is not only for the Santal people but for all marginalized communities seeking recognition and equality in Bangladesh.