Transcript Welcome to the Presentation of BNELC

Welcome to the
Presentation of BNELCDF, Bangladesh
Facts at a Glance
Basic Information of Bangladesh:
 Area( in thousands of km 2)
144
 Population (in millions)
150.5
 Population density( per km-2)
1,045
 Urban Population(% in 2010)
28
Facts at a glance
Population below poverty line at us$1.25 a day (%in 2007-2010)
43.3
Structure of gross domestic product (GDP)( % in 2010) :
-Agriculture
19
-Industry
28
-Services
53
Human development Index (HDI) (ranking) 146 out of 187 countries
( 2011)
Life expectancy at birth (years)
44 ( 1970)
69 ( 2011)
-Mortality rate under 5 years old ( per 1000 live births)
139 (1990)
46 ( 2011)
-Adult literacy rate (% in 2005-2010)
57
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Land Holdings (in acres) of IP
District- Registered- Khash-Mortgaged-land dispute- Forest
Dinajpur 11386 Rangpur 4500 Rajshahi 20383 -
1054 - 2331
41 - 988
1065 – 959
- 122
- 168
- 2083
- 311
- 188
- Not available
IPs Land issues in Bangladesh:
Illegal occupancy by influential people
 Falsification of land deeds by the non IP
 False court cases
 Harassment by some Govt. officials during
paying the land taxes.
 During Tevaga movement Santal and
Oraon community lost their lands.
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IPs Land issues in Bangladesh:
In 1965 those who left for India, their
homelands are declared as vested
property.
 Land taxes are not paid regularly by IP
 Land laws are not known by IP
 Less importance on land ownership by IP
 Increasing trends of mortgaging out lands.
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IPs Land issues in Bangladesh:
Extravagant expenditure by selling land
 Historical perceptions
 Ignorance
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IPs Land issues in Bangladesh:
Land fragmentation due to the their
population growth.
 Lack of policy support to the IPs to protect
their land lose.
 No platform among the adivasis to recover
and retain their lands.
 Taking loan from non Adivasi with high
interest which force them to sell their
lands
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IPs Land issues in Bangladesh:
Changing of owners name and quantity by the
influentials with the cooperation of govt.
surveyors during land survey.
 IP are ignored in providing position holding
papers from land office for the khash land,
possessed by IP for many years.
 Often Bengalese get marries to Adivasi girls with
the intention to get their land properties .
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Weakness/Lackings of IP for own
issues:
Adivasis are not aware of land customs
and laws.
 No land cooperative among the IPs where
from people can take loan in time of need.
 Land values not properly understood.
 Lacking of training and education on land
laws. customary laws.

Weakness/Lackings of IP for own
issues:
Competition among/ between community
people and selling land to a non Adivasi
and there by giving a non Adivasi
household into near of a village.
 Quarrel and lack of unity serve in
background for land laws.
 Fierce competition for controlling land
resources.

Weakness/Lackings of IP in land
issues:
Leadership crisis at village/ regional and
National level among IP.
 Lack of active social institution/
organization.
 Having no much research and study on IP
issues and sharing of findings.

Weakness/Lackings of IP in Land
issues:
Negligency for mutation of land
 Negligency in paying land taxes
 Negligency for well preservation of land
documents.
 Lack of cooperation among IPs
 Allowing non IP to enter at IP home with
out any restriction.

Initiatives taken through BNELC-DF
on land issues:
Organized 60 ATSOs, 34 Union Adivasi
parisad, 8 Legal assistance cell and
Upazial Adivasi federations.
 To aware the members of afore said
CBOs, in weekly and monthly meeting on
land issues.
 Provide training on land issues ( Land
laws and customs, legal awareness,
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Initiatives taken through BNELC-DF
on land issues:

Conduct meetings,
with union based
adivasi parisads
Initiatives taken through BNELC-DF
on land issues:

Day observation and
submission of
memorandum to the
prime minister
through Deputy
commissioner
demanding for
separate land
commission for IPs.
Action/Initiatives taken through
BNELC-DF on land issues:

Conduct arbitration by
the local Adivasi
leaders to mitigate
land conflict.
Action/Initiatives taken through
BNELC-DF on land issues:

Counseling through
lawyer to mitigate
land problems.
Action/Initiatives taken through
BNELC-DF on land issues:

Provide training on
land laws and
customs.
Network
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BNELC-DF is the member of different level
Networks for strengthening the Adivasi’s voice
on land issues as well as human rights.
Unity for NGOs (District level)
Coordination of NGOs for Adivasis (CNA)
National coalition for Indigenous people (NCIP).
Partnership with Association for Land Reform
and Development (ALRD) at National level .
Reflection of the initiatives through
BNELC-DF on land Issue
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Now 35 % of IP families preserve their land
documents and related papers properly
Improve access to land office and to the public
service providers.
50% IP families are paying land tax regularly.
165 land conflict mitigated by the initiative of
local leaders within working area.
85 acres of mortgage land redeemed
15 court cases mitigated by the help of Adivasi
leaders.
Recommendations:
The constitution of Bangladesh shall be
addressed the Ethnic people as “Adivasi’’
and must be nationally acknowledged.
 Human Rights including life and poverty
security of Adivasis must be ensured.
 Separate land commission for Adivasis
shall be established in order to solve land
related problems and also enemy property
laws must be reformed.
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Recommendations:
Ejection of Adivasis torture on them in the name
of Govt. shelter program and harassment during
settlement in the Northern part of Bangladesh
must be stopped.
 Adivasi representation in local govt. system shall
be ensured.
 Adivasi representation shall be ensured in every
steps of local and National level policy making
bodies.
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Recommendations:
The Adivasi development program prepared by
UNO and world bank must be implemented
covering Adivasi areas and also Adivasi
representation must be ensured.
 Adequate budget shall be allocated in the
sectors of Adivasi development in National
development plan.
 Priority should be given on the IP land issues by
the International Donors to Bangladesh.
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Thanks to All
Victor Lakra
Bangladesh