Indigenous People, Policing and Discrimination: A Post-Colonial Legal Study to Indigenous Garo in Tangail, Bangladesh

• In Event: Critical Perspectives on Coloniality and Carcerality

Abstract

The article understands the intricate relationship between policing, discrimination and marginalization of Indigenous people in Bangladesh using the post-colonial legal lens. We will, therefore, address the following questions: (i) How do Bangladeshi Indigenous people experience derogatory treatment from law enforcement authorities? (ii) How does ethnicity shape their experience with the law enforcement authorities? (iii) How and to what extent do derogatory treatments perpetuate colonial legacies? (iv) What measures should we take to curtail Indigenous people’s suffering? To understand this, we will incorporate data sources and methodological triangulation techniques using secondary analysis of constitutional law, regulation, and ordinances on Indigenous identity and rights and in-depth interviews on the Garo Communities. We will mainly conduct in-depth interviews with 15 Indigenous (Garo) people who have cases in local police units, law enforcement personnel, Indigenous activists, legal support personnel, and university professors as key informant interviews. We will use the post-colonial legal perspective because it reveals how law enforcement authorities subjugate and marginalize Indigenous people due to colonial legacies and oppressive systems. This article contributes to the discourse on policing Indigenous people in post-colonial contexts by addressing gaps in understanding, decentering Western scholarship, highlighting legal injustice, and suggesting improvements to the situation.

Authors

• Mohammed Jahirul Islam, Carleton University, Canada

• Md. Lab Hossain, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Santosh, Tangail, Bangladesh

• Pavel Ahmed, Illinois State University