On 25 February 2012, Bangladesh
Krishok Federation held a meeting against land grabbing in Louhajang sub-district in Munshiganj District. The Louhajang sub-district committee of BKF organized the meeting. BKF general secretary, Abdul Mannan Azad, was chief guest and BKS general secretary, Shipra Rani, was a special guest at the meeting. The Munshigonj district president of BKF, Mr Khokon, presided over the meeting. Leaders of Union and village committee from different unions of Louhajang sub-district were present at the meeting.
Speakers said in the meeting that land grabbers are grabbing lands and enjoying illegally. Land grabbers are really desperate to grab land near capital Dhaka like Louhajang. They are making apartments, seating industries on fertile agricultural lands too. Strong movements only can occupy land for landless and save arrival land for cultivation. 
The leaders of BKF & BKS discussed the situation of peasants and landless people in Louhajang. They also took a decision to strengthen the organizational position of BKF and BKS in that
area and build up strong movements to preserve peasants' and landless' rights. They demanded that the Government distribute khas land among the landless.
More photos are here...


 

Pathorghata Sub-district conference of BKF and BKS held

Pathorghata Sub-district conference of Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha held in 3rd November 2011 in Zia ground of Pathorghata su-district of Barguna district. New sub-district committee of BKF and BKS was elected in that conference. District committee leaders were present in the conference. Member from all union of Pathorghata sub-district participated and union committee leaders played key roll to elected new sub-district committee.

New sub-district committees are committed to buildup strong movements for preserved peasant's rights.

More photos here.....

On 23 and 24 September 2011 Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha organized it's Central Committee meeting on forthcoming Climate, Gender and Food Sovereignty Caravan. This CC meeting decided many important points of implementation of Caravan. Co-host La Via Campesina South Asian technical assistant Ashlesha Khadse participated in this CC meeting. Leaders from all respective district of caravan route attended the meeting and play affective roll to take decision. CC meeting fixed caravan program schedule and venue of all caravan station. After back in their area leaders will start work on implementing part of climate, gender and food sovereignty caravan.
More photos of CC meeting are here...

A landless territory called Zaida Nagar (Formally Baburabad) Satkhira in Bangladesh is stained with the blood of landless peasant women Zaida, Member of Bangladesh Kishani Sabha which is the associate of Bangladesh Krishok Federation. The heroic role and the sacrifice of Zaida are ever remembered in the heart of landless people in Bangladesh. In this territory the landless people call Zaida “Mother Zaida” because at the cost of her life they achieved their right to land in that areas.  In 1998, 14 years ago since today there is a big peasant revolt against conspiracies of the local big landowners and corrupt administrative officials who had their vested interest around the ceiling excess Khasland (Land on which no private ownership) on which only the landless people have their right to enjoy.  The landless people regardless men, women and children took to the street on the protest in order to protect their right from the ill efforts of expropriation made by the local Joteder (big land owners) in association with police administration. Zaida spearheaded the whole struggle with courage and marched forward to the police who was ready for atrocities. They shot Zaida to death and more than 200 landless were injured and mutilated. The struggle continued for around 5 days. It vibrated the entire Satkhira district as well as total nation. A number of civil society groups grew and became very active to defend the interest of landless people. As a result, the administration was forced to refrain from resorting to the way of repression on the landless. They cooled down and tried to find the way to reduce the tension. Almost all hi-profile political leaders including the then Prime Minister, leader of the opposition visited Zaida Nagar to pay
homage to martyr Zaida. So 27 July on which day Zaida was killed is marked as Memorial Day for Zaida who was also buried in that area. Every year on 27 July the floral wreath was placed in her graveyard with so much respect to her and general feast is also available for the landless people to take, to commemorate the day. The local groups
including Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha also observed 27 July in Zaida Nagar this year. Various activists from the local cross-sections participated in the commemoration. The leaders of Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Badrul Alam who is the president of the same and Pathak Lal Golder who is Office Secretary took part in it. A procession was brought out and paraded the territory with slogan on their land right. After the procession a rally was held in the common space for the landless community. The invited people who have been defending the landless people for long addressed the rally and expressed continued support to the landless
people. Badrul Alam, President of Bangladesh Krishok Federation who supervised the false case filed around the Khasland for which Zaida sacrificed her life in the High Court and Supreme Court in 1995, spoke in the rally adding that the struggle did not end rather it has put new option for the landless for further struggle until the right of
landless on food sovereignty, climate justice and gender equality is ensured. He declared the Zaida Nagar as one of the destinations of the Caravan on Climate Change, Gender and Food Sovereignty taking place in November through out the country. The courageous landless people accepted it very warmly and felt proud that the guests from different countries would come to visit their places and share the experiences. The area is historically agricultural one. The world heritage mangrove forest Sundarban is not so far. Unfortunately nowadays the area turned shrimp culture area since a group of people are making money exporting the shrimp outside. The landless and peasant farmers are seriously victimised by the shrimp cultivation. They have lost their variety of crops and bio-diversity all most forever.  They are totally dependant on the purchase for their agricultural products.  They want to recover their arable land but complication knows no bound. The possibility of resilience is, for sure, not easy.

It can be mentioned that the landless in this area started their occupation movement in early nineties. Although, they have their triumph in the struggle but experiencing environmental disaster coupled with the impact of climate change as well as global warming.

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Thousands of peasant family from Gandhorbopur village in Rupgonj sub-district under the Narayongonj district demands to back their acquired agricultural land. On 27 June 2011 peasant from Gandhorbopur village formed a human chain at Narayongonj town to demand get back their acquired land in own. BKF general secretary Abdul Mannan Azad and BKF Narayongonj district committee president Hafizur Rahman Pintu was organizer of that human chain.

Badrul Alam, the president of Bangladesh Krishok Federation attended a South Asian Regional Workshop on Agrarian Reform on 20 to 22 June 2011 at Kathmandu, Nepal. The written papers by him on the workshop is here.... 

17th April, is the International peasants struggle day. BKF and BKS organized a discussion 17th April 2011  at its central office in Dhaka. The discussion was presided over by Badrul Alam, president of BKF. Leaders of BKF and BKS discussed the history of the international peasants struggle day, the situation of the current peasant struggles of Bangladesh and also the solidarity between other peasants' movements of the world and BKF-BKS movements. The leaders hope that BKF & BKS can be strengthening the peasants and landless movements of Bangladesh to follow the successful peasants' movements of other countries.