Dhaka, Feb. 28 -- Civil society representatives have demanded that 16 Garo families in Sadar Upazila, Sylhet, not be evicted without rehabilitation, as they live in fear of removal.

The Garo families have been living in the Khadimnagar Union of the Upazila for 60 to 70 years. They have allegedly been threatened recently with eviction by a local housing company.

Upon receiving the news, a civic delegation visited the scene on Friday, led by Mustafa Shahzaman Chowdhury Bahar, convenor of the Sylhet branch of the environmental organisation Dhoritri Rokhhay Amra (DHORA).

He said the country's small ethnic groups are peaceful, and Garo families have lived in the Kallagram village for generations, building homes and paying taxes.

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