Govt urged to give lands to 1cr landless to alleviate poverty
Speakers at a roundtable in Dhaka yesterday urged the government to distribute khas lands and water bodies among the landless people in order to contribute to elimination of poverty from the country.
They suggested formation of a land commission to do the job, pointing to the fact that around 1crore families have no land, whereas over 3 crore bighas of khas lands and water bodies are now at government's possession.
They, however, emphasised strengthening the local government bodies through reforms to ensure proper distribution of these lands and water bodies among the landless.
The Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) organised the roundtable on Land and Agrarian Reform in Bangladesh: Empowerment of Women and Marginalised Communities at the Cirdap auditorium.
Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) President
Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman called for a united movement to protect rights of the landless.
“We can demand for a land commission to bring about reforms in land and properly use khas lands and water bodies,” he said.
Mainul Islam of Chittagong University said West Bengal and Kerala of India are now yielding benefits from land and agrarian reforms.
“But, we are yet to take any successful initiatives for such land and agrarian reforms,” he lamented.
Former justice Golam Rabbani said it is clearly stated in the country's Constitution that resources will have to be distributed equally.
Presenting a keynote paper on 'Land and Agrarian Reform in Bangladesh: Political Economy of Marginalised Communities and Women', Professor Abul Barakat of Dhaka University put forward a 94-point recommendation for proper use of khas lands and water bodies and recovering the khas lands from illegal grabbers.
Professor Anisur Rahman, a former teacher of Economics at the University of Dhaka, presented another keynote paper on 'Rural Reform in Bangladesh: Missing Opportunity to Free the Royal Bengal Tiger'.
He said the development watchers are rejoicing if the rate of growth of GDP rises by a percentage point, but the great bulk of dukhi manush [ultra poor] themselves are not finding much solace in such glory.
“They have viewed poverty alleviation not merely as a humanitarian question but also as a strategy for raising the country's growth rate itself,” he pointed out.
Khushi Kabir of Nijera Kori, a non-governmental organisation, moderated the roundtable where, among others, Professor Atiur Rahman of Dhaka University, Swapan Adnan of Singapore National University, and ALRD Executive Director Samsul Huda spoke.
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