Landless join hands to realise rights

Thousands of indigenous people formed a human chain from Birampur to Kaharal in Dinajpur yesterday marking the Land Rights Day. PHOTO: STAR

The demands also include steps to rehabilitate indigenous people evicted by land grabbers, allotments of newly emerged shoal lands to landless and women's right to inherit land.

Organised by land rights committees in districts, they formed kilometres-long human chains carrying banners and festoons, held rallies and submitted memorandums to district administrations.

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In Dinajpur, indigenous people formed a 70-kilometre long human chain from Birampur to Kaharol covering 13 upazilas, protesting land grabbing by vested quarters and demanding their rehabilitation, organisers claimed.

'Dinajpur Bhumee Adhikar Dibash Udzapan Parishad' organised the programme with the help of nine NGOs.

Earlier, Parishad leaders at a press Conference at Dinajpur Press Club said only the landless people have the right to government land but vested quarters enjoying clout have grabbed around 20 lakh acres of khas land in the district.

They urged political parties to include the issue of landless people's right to government land in their manifesto.

In Pabna, landless people formed an human chain from Pakshey Lalan Shah Bridge to Baghabari Ghat, organisers claimed.

Thousands of landless men and women joined hands and stood beside roads from 11 am to noon carrying banners and festoons reading various slogans, reports a correspondent.

They also demanded annulment of the Land Act of 1994, allotment of government water bodies among fishermen, formation of a separate land commission for indigenous people in plain lands, and an end to deforestation in the name of creation of echo park in different areas of the country.

The programme was organised by Pabna district committee of Land Right Celebration Committee.

The Land Rights Day in being observed in the country on June 10 since 1985, marking the clash between the landless and land grabbers in Ghughudaha Beel in Shanthia upazilla in Pabna. Several landless people were killed in the clashes.

In Cox's bazar, several hundred landless people brought out a procession in the tourist town.

After parading the streets, they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner containing the demands and held a rally on the premises of the DC office.

Similar programmes were also organised in other districts in observance of the Land Rights.