“In general, some progressive political parties have recognized indigenous peoples as reflected in their election manifesto.” traditional jhum cultivators in the CHT since there is an objective to “rehabilitate” the shifting cultivators. There is also the declaration that all land is state land and that the ownership of land by tribal people in the foreign zones is “not determined.” Assessment of key actors to promote IPs’ Land Rights To promote indigenous peoples’ land rights, it is essential to involve the stakeholders at various levels. To formulate or reform the policy and advocate the implementation of the existing policy, the role of the government’s relevant ministries and departments is highly important. Besides the government, there are other factors such as local government, traditional leaders, donor agencies, international institutions, the private sector and civil society that influence formulation and reformation of the policy. Government The government is the principle actor in determining to execute the relevant land laws or formulate the new land laws effectively. These are the Ministry of Land, Ministry of Law, and Ministry of the CHT Affairs at the policy level which all play a strong role in the formulation of the law and the implementation of existing laws. 18 The Ministry of Land is of primary importance since it is in charge of land administration, management and development for the benefit of the people of Bangladesh. The responsibilities of this Ministry include the management and settlement of the government-owned lands (khas lands), sairatmahals (jalmahal, shrimp mahal, etc.), vested properties, and abandoned properties; collection of land development revenue; land survey; as well as record keeping and updating. Political parties The support of political parties is needed to recognize and promote indigenous peoples’ customary land rights. Therefore, it is crucial to inform political parties about IP issues to hopefully secure their political commitment to do their part in helping these peoples fight for their rights over their own land. In general, some progressive political parties have recognized indigenous peoples as reflected in their election manifesto. These committed political parties could take a lead and raise their strong voice against the violators to prevent land alienation or displacement of the IPs from their homestead or customary land. Political parties are also urged to help prevent their party members from taking part in land grabbing. If the government and opposition parties will join hands to promote indigenous peoples’ land issues, then the incidence of land grabbing would surely be significantly reduced. Therefore, to advocate for IPs’ land, it is necessary to engage political parties as they do have an input in formulating and subsequently implementing policies. Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC)