A meeting of landless people was held at the Rangpur Public Library Ground on Tuesday, organized by the Bangladesh Landless Movement, to press for a three-point demand that includes prioritizing rehabilitation before development.
The gathering put forward three main demands: the rehabilitation of landless people, ensuring their access to government-owned khas land, and establishing a discrimination-free society.
Advocate Hasnat Kaiyum, chief adviser of the Bangladesh Landless Movement and president of the Bangladesh State Reform Movement, attended the meeting as the chief guest.
During the event, Kaiyum called for a special tribunal to prosecute individuals involved in looting and siphoning national wealth abroad. He also urged the recovery of laundered assets and reforms to enhance state accountability.
Sheikh Nasir Uddin, the organization's general secretary, demanded landless cards for all landless people, reserved parliamentary seats for them, and the formation of an independent Land and Agricultural Reform Commission.
Kanak Rahman, the divisional coordinator who presided over the meeting, called for priority-based rehabilitation for landless individuals in Rangpur and the generation of employment through industrialization and agricultural development.
Other speakers at the gathering urged the inclusion of landless representatives in khas land distribution committees, alongside the recovery of illegally occupied government land for allocation to genuine landless families and farmers.
Following the meeting, participants took out a procession through Rangpur city and submitted formal memorandums to the Rangpur City Corporation administrator and the deputy commissioner.
Why it matters
The demands highlight ongoing socioeconomic disparities and governance challenges regarding land distribution and asset recovery in Bangladesh.