'Ensure landless' rights for poverty cut'

The National Council to Observe Land Rights Day convenor Abdul Kader speaks at a press conference at the National Press Club in the city yesterday. On his left are Khushi Kabir and Abul Hossain and on his right are Shamsul Huda and Zakir Hossain. PHOTO: STAR

The slogan of the day this year is 'Call for political commitment to landless, indigenous and marginal people and women's right to land and its implementation'.

The National Council to Observe Land Rights Day, a platform of 265 organisations, will form a 1000 km-long human chain across 304 upazilas on the day. The landless people will join the human chain.

Poverty alleviation is not possible unless the rights of landless people are established, said Khushi Kabir, convenor of the Council and coordinator of Nijera Kori, at a press conference in the city yesterday.

She called on the political parties to incorporate the issue into their political manifesto to build a society free from inequality and discrimination.

Reading out a written statement, Abdul Kader, member-secretary of the council, said the ruling party makes commitment to ensuring the rights of landless people every year but does not implement it.

Only the landless people have the right to Khas land, but elite politicians and land grabbers have encroached on around 50 lakh acres of Khas land, said Kader, also executive director of Samata.

Abul Hossain, general secretary of Village and Urban Poor Federation, demanded that the landless people of urban areas be rehabilitated in Khas land in Dhaka and nearby areas.

The speakers also called for recognition of the rights of indigenous people and an end to eviction of ethnic people from their land.