State of Statelessness in Bangladesh should also take initiatives for effective implementation of the ‘Convention on Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination’. • The government should concentrate on housing and land issues of Dalits. The temporary or permanent removal of Dalits from their ancestral land or colonies without the provision of proper rehabilitation should be ended. Land owned by the government should be distributed among Dalits on the basis of priority. Those living as tea plantation workers should be provided with ownership of land where they have lived for generations. Regarding Rohingyas: • The government should acknowledge the refugee status of the Rohingya by ratifying the 1951 Refugee Convention and sign its 1967 Protocol. It will open up some avenue for the Rohingya to enjoy their rights as refugee and stateless persons. • The UN and international aid agencies should focus on a political solution to end the Rohingyas’ statelessness. • The government should allow the Rohingya population to avail of the rights as enshrined in international treaties supported by the state as well as national laws and the constitution. • The government should take steps to ensure that all the Rohingya living in Bangladesh illegally are registered and not detained or prosecuted under the Foreigners Act. • The government should enable movement of the Rohingya people beyond the camps and withdraw restriction on cell phone communication inside camps. 31