ESSF financial details

Given from ESSF Permanent Solidarity Fund for Asia: €5,077

Banking costs: €76,77

Transfer January 4^th: €5,000

Balance: €0,23

BKF, BKS, BAS Report

Dated 27 January 2018

ESSF Coordination to the organizations of district level meetings to coordinate BKF, BKS and BAS

We received the financial support of 5000 Euros equivalent to TK.450,000/-(BDT) from ESSF-France for the coordination of the organizations of district level meetings in order to coordinate BKF, BKS and BAS early 2017 [1].

Bangaldesh Krishok Federation-BKF is a nationwide and grass root based peasants’ organization which was established in 1976 with an aim to emancipate the peasantry from exploitation and discrimination in society. Bangladesh Kishani Sabha-BKS is also nationwide and grass root based organization which was founded in 1990 with a view to achieving 14-point demands including equal right for men and women in all spheres of life and Bangladesh Adivasi Samity-BAS is indigenous people organization which was formed in 1991 in order achieve their specific demands including the constitutional recognition and the customary right over land.

We, these 3 organizations have been working together for the long as closely associates to each other. Sometime we are organizing different programs alone and most of the time jointly as we have the common and identical problems and concerns. All 3 organizations have the long history of mobilizing the land occupation movement in the country. As an old and prominent organization Bangladesh Krishok Federation always played a key role in the land occupation movement. So far the organizations have taken over 76,600 acres of Khasland in different parts of the country. The occupations which are notable include 22 Chars (small islands surrounded by water in the river). 12.5 kilometer long British regime railway abandoned land, 9 big shrimp cultivation centers and small scale possessions at different points in the country. In all these occupation always peasant, peasant women, landless, agricultural workers and indigenous people played their crucial parts.

Because of occupation movement the landless people have benefited a lot. They have become the dignified owner of a piece of land which ensures their food sovereignty. Land is source of their life and livelihood. Using the land many landless people became well up now although still there are some who are still hard up due to unequal treatment in society.

In the national constitution of Bangladesh the state is pledge-bound to ensure food, cloth, shelter, education and medication. Unfortunately it fails to provide with all of this things. In that case the initiative of the people themselves deserves enormous significance. The state could have done a genuine and comprehensive agrarian reform to solve the fundamental needs of the people but it is not doing for invisible reasons.

We these organizations are committed to advancing the land occupation movement until a comprehensive agrarian reform is performed in the country. Recently we have been taking preparation to take over new land for the landless people. For this we have doing the ground works for almost over last one year. We held district level meetings in 12 districts in the north and south of the country. For a successful land occupation we need a consolidation within organizations. That is why, with the support of ESSF we coordinated the district level meetings of 3 organizations. In each meeting the participants were provided with food and transport cost. Moreover, we had to spend funding also for communication and propagation. All together there were 2,400 people were engaged in all meeting across the country. On the average, Tk.188.5 has been spent for each person participating in the meetings.

Apart from the land occupation we have the plan to organize a Char Conference in one of 22 occupied islands in south. 5 thousand landless heroes are expected to attend the conference. It is designed to be held in the end of March this year. We will send a proposal for support to ESSF for this conference later. ESSF’s present support has been very useful and effective to the organization. Herewith, we attached some photos of district level coordination meetings.

Badrul Alam
President
Bangladesh Krishok Federation

Sabina Yasmin
General Secretary
Bangladesh Kishani Sabha

Omoli Kisku
General Secretary
Bangladesh Adivasi Samity

Pictures