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Peasant Womens Struggle for Land and Emancipation in Bangladesh

Presentation in the Refugee Congress held on 22nd April 2000 in Jena, Germany

- Shamsun Nahar Khan Doli

Revolutionary friends who have come from different countries in the world and the organisers of this important event. I would like to convey my greetings of struggle to all on my behalf, and on behalf of the organisation, Bangladesh Kishani Sabha (Bangladesh Peasant Women Association) which I belong to. I feel very much excited for inviting me from Bangladesh to this conference as one of the representatives of the Asian countries, and I would like to express my profound gratitude to the organisers for giving me the scope to say few words in the conference.

Bangladesh Kishani Sabha

Dear friends,
First of all, I like to say something about my own organisation, Bangladesh Kishani Sabha. It came to exist on 27th January 1990 through holding a historical peasant rally in Dhaka. It is a national and grass-root based organisation. It is the only organisation which represents the neglected, persecuted, deprived, exploited and repressed peasant women, living in villages in the country. The activities of this organisation extend to 49 districts out of 64. However, it has an organisational stronghold in the southern and northern parts of the country. At present the organisation is waging movement in the street around 14- point charter of demands and trying to mobilise public opinion on this behalf. The important demands of the 14 - points are the establishment of equal rights of men and women in every sphere of life, abolition of the master-slave relationship between men and women, ever removal of dowry, polygamy, illegal divorce, women repression from society, social, political and economic emancipation of women, establishment of the rights to the land of women, etc.

Khasland movement built by Bangladesh Kishani Sabha

Dear friends
There are about 1 million acres of Khasland in different districts in Bangladesh. A bulk of this Khasland is situated in the southern part of the country. This land emerged from the riverbed. As there is no particular private ownership of this land, the demand of distribution of Khasland was raised since sixties. Because of lack of building proper movement around this demand, it was never executed. And a section of local landtout big landowners and miscreants with collaboration of bureaucrats and employees concerned have been enjoying this kashland illegally over years.

In seventies, Bangladesh Krishok Federation established in 1976 which is the associates organisation of Bangladesh Kishani Sabha launched a strong movement with the demand for the smooth distribution of khasland among the genuine landless people. In 1979 Krishok Federation staged long-march first demanding distribution of khasland and in 1980, it occupied 4 chars (small islands surrounded by water) first in Dashmania Thana under Patuakhali district. But that movement was not successful due to some strategical laspses. That time, the landless people were evicted by the then government police. In 1983 and 1986 Abdus Sattar Khan, the late President of Bangladesh Krishok Federation staged hunger strike two times on the same issue. As a result, in 1987, the government was compelled to introduce a specific land law on behalf of the landless people. With introduction of this law, a new dimension was added in the total khasland movement. The landless people started demanding the distribution of khasland according to the newly introduced manual.

In 1989 Bangladesh Krishok Federation staged long March of 180 k.m. paths from Barisal to Dhaka demanding distribution of Khasland to the bonafide landless people. In 1990, since its inception, Bangladesh Kishani Sabha declared solidarity with Khasland movement of Krishok Federation and took part in the movement. On 30th July 1991, late Abdus Sattar Khan again staged hunger strike to death demanding three points including the demand of khasland distribution in front of Thana (Lower Administrative Unit) Nirbahi (Executive) office. In this hunger strike 10 thousand peasants and peasant women participated and staged set-in-strike. This strike continued for 8 days. On 27th November 1991, in Dashmina Thana, 15 thousand peasants and peasant women organised by Krishok Federation and Kishani gave an ultimatum to the government for immediate distribution of khasland to the landless people. For the negligence of the government to this ultimatum, on 1st January 1992, thirty thousand landless peasants and peasant women waged a heroic struggle against the illegal occupants of khasland, such as landtouts, big landowners and miscreants and took over 22 acres of Khasland of 4 chars, Charhadi, Charborhan, Charshahjalal and Charbashbaria in Dhashmina in their own possession. The landless people built their huts and started living in chars immediately after they took over the land. The local administration and bureaucrats frenzied on Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha seriously when these khaslands in Dashmina came in the possessions of landless people. Having frenzied they filed several false cases for harassment against the important central leaders and field level activists in order to sabotage the whole movement. When they could, by no means, spoil the movement, at last the government gave lease for one year to the landless people in the occupied land and started to collect revenue. On seeing the success of the landless people in the khasland movement in southern areas, the landless men and women members of the organisation of other areas took initiative to occupy the khasland in their respective area and so far, a total of 22 chars only in the southern area has been occupied under the leadership of the organisation. In these 22 chars, there are 60 thousand acres of khasland and more than 100 thousand landless people have been rehabilitated in this khasland.

Moreover, some khasland and khaspond were occupied in the central and northern parts of the country by the organisation. In Satkhira 9 shrimp cultivation centres have also been occupied. A huge number of leaders and members have sacrificed their lives in the khasland occupation movement as well as the movement of sustaining the occupation in the chars. A lot of field level workers and members, who were injured due to the attack of ousted big landowners, landtout and miscreants became disabled. None left the khasland till today after recognising so pains. Building this khasland movement the organisation is conducting more than 100 cases in this regard in lower court as well as in High Court. The long struggle build by Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Kishani Sabha appears to be a success this year. Because the government has been compelled to give permanent settlement on the occupied khasland to landless people. Already, 247 families have been given settlement and this process of giving settlement will continue.

Overall women situation in Bangladesh

Dear friends,
The situation of women in Bangladesh is miserable. Women are the victims of serious negligence and discrimination. Male has monopoly in society and women are inferior to men. The condition of peasant women in villages is worse. The work that the peasant women do in the household is not evaluated. As a result, she becomes unpaid labourer in society. The production of her labour is not treated as part of the social production. Besides, women are the victims of different social and religious superstitions. Murder, rape, kidnapping, repression have become a daily matter. Indeed, the women can not live in society with rights of a human being. In order to establish these rights of women Bangladesh Kishani Sabha is pledge-bound in its 14-points demands. I attach herewith a feature separately on women situation in Bangladesh. This includes also the 14- point of Kishani Sabha.

Imperialism, Globalisation and Neo-liberalisation

Dear friends,
The world capitalism system is suffering a severe crisis. With a view to relieve this crisis it finds the different ways. The globalisation is one of them. In the name of globalisation the imperialist seeks to establish an absolute control all over the world. Thus, the underdeveloped and developing countries are its target. The South Asian countries including Bangladesh have also become its target. In the meantime they establish their indirect hegemony on the state economy of South Asian countries. At present they have made the production sector of South Asian countries the sector of free trading for multinational companies destroying domestic production of South Asia. And they are doing this in the name of trade liberalisation, free market economy, etc. Since sixties, the multinational company extended it networks of exploitation to South Asian countries. They introduced the agricultural farming system in the name of green revolution. In doing so they pushed the traditional farming system in each country to the verge of destruction. The production system of less-labourous and less-expensive now become more labourous and more expensive one. In no how, the peasants gain in agriculture. Every year they have to give losses in agriculture. Consequently the peasants are becoming landless day by day. As a result of being landless the peasant women in villages are affected the most. The peasant women in village have become completely unemployed. Having seen no other way the peasant women are migrating to the city speedily in search of job and building slums here and there in the city. The main planner to marginalise the people in villages is the World Bank.

For few years last the World Bank has been giving suggestion to the government of the countries of South Asia receiving the fund of them to withdraw the subsidies from the agriculture. In the Bangladesh during Begum Khaleda Zia regime, the prescriptions of the World Bank were accepted. As a result, peasants built a strong agitation against Khaleda Zia regime. In 1996, this struggle of peasants also played a big role behind the collapse of Khaleda Zia government. In 1996 coming to the power, even Begum Shekh Hasina also did not take any effective initiative for the welfare of the peasants. Shekh Hasinas government has kept lum sum provision of Tk. 100 crore for peasants in the national budget. But the total number of peasants all over the country is about 115 million. The industries of South Asian countries, too, are at the verge of destruction. In Bangladesh, the government has left almost all industries to private ownerships for introduceing free market economy and trade liberalisation according to the prescription of the World Bank. Consequently, the factories are being collaseped day by day. The labourers become unemployed. In this case, too, woman labourers are affected the most. On the other hand a big informal sector are growing.......... floating people. In Bangladesh, these are all done under the *Structural Adjustment Program* of the World Bank. Therefore, it can be said what the imperialists want to do in the name of globalisation is to make the free way for the movement of their finance capital, i.e. the capital of industrialist countries can move easily to the consumers in the underdeveloped and developing countries. The imperialists built World Trade Organisation to accomplish the globalisation process fully. Chaining the developing countries with their debts, the imperialists compelled them to sign on the GATT agreement.

We raise strong voice against globalisations

Dear friends,
We shall raise strong voice against injustice occurred in any country in the world. That the protest and resistance took place in different countries gave us momentum. Tens of millions of people burst into demonstration against globalisation even in the country of US imperialism last year in November. That the aim of globalisation is not humane is clear to us. So, we reject with condemnation the imperialist globalisation process as it is not for emancipation of human being and pledge to make continuous struggle against globalisation. Here I finish my speech.

Thanks every body.