BAFLF and NWFA have observed The International Day of Peasants Struggle
Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour
Federation and National Women Farmers & Workers Association have observed
The International Day of Peasants Struggle to commemorate the massacre of
landless farmers in Brazil as well as the recent killing of farmers and
landless defenders for struggling their land, food and livelihood throughout
the world including Bangladesh, Honduras, Columbia, Philippines and Brazil. To
mark the Day, BAFLF and NWFA organized a rally in Gazipur, Dhaka. Farmers,
women peasant and agricultural workers took part at that gathering to raise
their demands for comprehensive and actual Agrarian Reform to ensure peoples’
food sovereignty. After rally a discussion meeting was held.
Md. Mamun of BAFLF conducted the discussion
session. Among others Ruhul Amin, Abdul Rahim, Ashish Rojario of BAFLF and Rima
Akter, Farjana Begum, Nurjahan Begum of NWFA and several others farmers’
leaders also spoke at the occasion.
The speakers at the meeting said that
in1980’s agriculture contributed 33.07% of GDP in Bangladesh but now this rate
is decreasing. That time farmers controlled agriculture and they had controlled
over land, seed and water. Due to govt. policy farmers gradually are losing
their control on land, seed as well as agriculture and market. TNCs and local
private company is dominating agriculture and captured market. Govt. influenced
by private company privatizes and commercializes agriculture and natural
resources resulting farmers to become landless and poorer. The speakers also
demand that to save farmers and small scale peasants, there is no alternative
to genuine agrarian reform.
On behalf of BAFLF and NWFA, Golam Sorowor places 15
points specific recommendations for Comprehensive Agrarian Reforms. These are:
- Farmers are real
owners of agricultural land. The ownership of land is to be determined on
the basis of the principal those who cultivate land are owners of that
land.
- In the case of
two-cropped land, maximum land ceiling shall be 15 bighas, and for
one-cropped land, maximum ceiling shall be 20 bighas. Excess land shall be
included in the khas khatian (khas land).
- Khash and fellow
forestlands to be distributed among the landless people, and shall remain
to be non-transferable.
- Permanent settlement
should be given to those who have been living on the forestland for long
time.
- Acquisition of
agricultural land to be stopped for housing, industries and commercial
farming purposes.
- Distribution,
identification, demarcation and use of khaslands (abandoned land) to be
handed over to the Union Perished Chairman. Rural and agricultural workers
should be given the right to form trade union and the registration of
their union be given in the authority of the Chairman.
- Assurance to be
given by the Govt. for minimum 200 days’ work in a year for agricultural
workers as well as rural working people.
- Govt. should
ensure guarantee for distributing khasland to indigenous, tribal and other
marginal working people. There should be permanent settlement of land for
the tribal. Decent living conditions and basic rights for tea workers,
climate induced agri migrants and Bedes
(Gypsy) should be provided by Govt.
- To protect
farmers’ land and to refrain marginalized farmers from selling their
lands, strong laws stopping commercialization of agricultural lands must
be implemented.
- For serving the interest of the farmers,
digitalized land management system should be introduced to control
corruption and forgery in regards land.
- Leasing system of public property such as
hat, bazar, river, forest, water bodies etc. to be stopped.
- Govt. should promote cooperative farming
and Govt. incentives must be there to save the small scale farmers. Strong
and effective market mechanism should be developed so that farmers’ access
and control over the marker established.
- Subsidy to be continuing to protect
farmers’ interest and to attain sustained self-sufficiency’ in
agriculture. Govt. should promote the extension of sustainable and
eco-friendly agricultural technologies.
- Embankments are to be planned
safeguarding the natural motion of water of the rainy season. Establishment of dam in coastal areas
must get priorities to save the coastal farmers from river erosion, flash
flood and seal level rising.
- Organic
fertilizers and alternative to chemical pesticides shall have to be used
instead of chemical fertilizers and harmful poisonous pesticides. The use
and import of GMO seed, GMO pesticides should be banned. Govt. should
enhance capacities of public sector in seeds productions and distribution,
more allocation for BADC must be ensured.
Please see
the video link: https://youtu.be/m-Q9lsmeg20
