The government of Bangladesh has ordered the media to avoid using the word ‘indigenous’ during any coverage of the UN’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on AUG 9.

It’s been trying to censor the word for several years, insisting there are no indigenous people among the country’s population.

Almost 3-million people claim indigenous status – including communities that fought security forces for years in the Chittagong Hill region.

Critics say the government’s latest warning is an attempt to strip communities of their identities and rights to land.

Members of the Indigenous community of Bangladesh will hold a rally Tuesday at the university campus to highlight traditional culture.

Aljazeera/Agencies.