By Alastair Lawson BBC correspondent in Dhaka

A two-day meeting between Bangladesh and its international donors has concluded in the capital Dhaka.

The meeting concentrated on economic progress and the concerns of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank that not enough is being done to improve law and order or redress corruption.

Bangladesh is highly dependent on foreign aid

But other important issues rumble beneath the surface - including a series of complaints put forward on behalf of the country's 45 indigenous groups.

A petition put forward on behalf of one million people in Bangladesh, who the government describes as 'tribals', is deeply critical of their treatment.

It says that the indigenous community - unlike majority Bengalis - receive no aid from the government, even though they are among the poorest and most downtrodden people in the country.

Persecuted

It says that per capita income is among the lowest in the world while literacy rates and access to health care are low.

Deaths from malaria and dysentery are commonplace and access to social services is limited.

The petition says the government has no formal policy to help the indigenous community.

Many live in rural areas but they have been made landless and are often persecuted by forestry officials.

The petition says that the government has not even included indigenous people in a poverty reduction programme submitted to the donors for approval.

The document urges the development partners of Bangladesh to put pressure on the government to improve their plight.