Political commitment a must to establish it

They called for a social movement integrating people from all strata of life to ensure their land rights.

The seminar titled 'Political commitment and necessity of its implementation to ensure land rights of landless, women, indigenous and marginalised people' was organised by National Observance Parishad of Land Rights Day 2006 at LGED auditorium in the city. The day will be observed tomorrow.

The speakers said right to information is also important in ensuring land rights as most of the people have little knowledge in this regard.

They said the government will have to integrate all people including the landless and marginalised into the whole process of land reforms.

Speaking as chief guest Prof Dr Sirajul Islam Chowdhury said the problem is political and it will have to be solved politically.

He said a new elite class has emerged in the society and they are evicting indigenous people from their lands in the name of development.

Eminent economist Dr Atiur Rahman said lack of good governance, corruption and politicisation have crippled all sectors specially the administration forcing people to take to the streets.

He urged all to be united to launch a movement to ensure their rights.

Secretary of Bangladesh Adibashi Forum Sanjib Drong said land is life for the indigenous people.

"Land is like our mother and our culture, history, knowledge, songs will be damaged if the ruling elite evicts us from our lands," he added.

Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, executive editor of the daily Sangbad, said right to information is a must to ensure the rights of the landless people.

Political will and farsightedness is also necessary in this regard, he added.

In a keynote paper Prof Dr Abul Barakat of Dhaka University portrayed all sorts of land problems and suggested some recommendations to solve them.

Ain-O-Salish Kendra Executive Director Advocate Sultana Kamal, former secretary M Mokammel Hauqe, Air Vice-marshal (retd) AK Khandaker, Khushi Kabir, Parishad Convenor Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of PPRC Samsul Huda and executive director of ALRD Abdul Kader also spoke.