Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed spoke as the chief guest at a roundtable titled "Indigenous Identity is Irrelevant for Bangladesh". Photo : Ministry

DHAKA, Aug 11, 2026 (BSS) - Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said all citizens living within Bangladesh's territory share one constitutional and national identity - "Bangladeshi".

"Geographically and constitutionally, we are all inhabitants of Bangladesh. Our common identity is Bangladeshi," he said.

The minister made the remarks as the chief guest at a roundtable titled "Indigenous Identity is Irrelevant for Bangladesh", organised by the Chittagong Hill Tracts Research Foundation (CHTRF) at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Gulshan today.

He said the Constitution guarantees equal rights and opportunities to all citizens, while the state remains committed to protecting and promoting the religious, social and cultural heritage of small ethnic groups, tribal communities and other communities.

Referring to the July National Charter, Ahmed said all political parties and stakeholders had agreed that people across Bangladesh's territory would be identified as Bangladeshis. 

He described the consensus as a key foundation for protecting the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The minister said the state also provides special facilities and quota arrangements for disadvantaged communities, women and children to ensure greater equality with the mainstream population.

On the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), adopted in 2007, he said Bangladesh had maintained a clear position from the outset and abstained from the vote. 

CHTRF Chairman Mehedi Hasan Palash chaired the discussion. 

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon and State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmood Khyom attended as special guests.

Nilufar Chowdhury Moni,MP, BNP Joint Secretary General Emran Saleh Prince, Prime Minister's Political Assistant Md Rashed Khan, BNP Chairperson's Adviser Professor Sukomal Barua, NCP Chief Organiser (Northern Region) Sarjis Alam and former adviser to the interim government Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan addressed the roundtable.

Lieutenant General Abdullahil Amaan Azmi (Retd.), Major General Fazle Elahi Akbar (Retd.) Maruf Kamal Khan, Editor, Protidiner Bangladesh and Professor Dr. Mohammad Abdur Rob - Vice-Chancellor, Manarat International University also spoke on the occasion.