![]() Finally, this research argues that the state has a responsibility to emancipate the Indigenous people in the mainstream policy domain and sustain equal opportunities and human rights for everybody irrespective of religion and ethnicity under the existing laws in Bangladesh. The thesis makes a case for their recognition in the national constitution in terms of human rights legislation to address a protective land tenure policy, provision of primary education in their mother languages, and equitable access to primary health care and social services, all of which are vital for the existence of the diverse Indigenous communities in Bangladesh. This thesis finds that the future of the Indigenous people in this study cannot be assured until their equal citizenship rights are achieved. It has revealed that the non-recognition of the Indigenous people in the national constitution and their exclusion from participatory democracy, governance and from mainstream development intervention have undermined their life chances in the country, which in turn, has resulted in land dispossession, a low level of literacy, and systemic exclusion from access to health care and other social services. This research applies a Critical Systemic Approach that combines qualitative and quantitative research relevant to research questions to understand the life chances of the most marginalized people through narratives of their lived experiences. The thesis demonstrates that as a result of the fragile democracy and governance system in Bangladesh, the human rights of the most vulnerable and marginalised Indigenous people have increasingly become a cause for concern. This thesis contributes to understanding the complex process of the marginalization of the two most disadvantaged Indigenous communities, namely the Santal and Oraon of North-Bengal, Bangladesh.
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