This tactic of targeting absentee landowners as key stakeholders was non-confrontational and proved effective to target. The community created specific alliances with influential absentee landowners who were initially, and often unknowingly, part of the violation process. The movement was successful due to the recognition of the importance of the cooperation of this target group.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons – Bellayet
Addressing Absentee Landownership in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, community dialogue efforts resulted in the development of a tactic to discourage absentee landowners from granting deeds to commercial shrimp farmers. This approach proved to be very effective in addressing the negative impacts of commercial shrimp farming – namely, salinity that affected homestead gardening and other village based occupations. A team of workers and peasant representatives as well as supporters including a journalist, activists, and NGO representatives was formed to identify the major absentee landowners. The team prepared a list of the absentee landowners and their current residences, tracking the origin of the deeds. The team surveyed their interests and positions regarding shrimp culture and prepared a situation analysis focusing on these issues. The supporting team met with the absentee landowners and raised their concerns with supporting facts, documents, and specific requests for their support and action.
As a result, most of the absentee land owners recognized the fact the shrimp culture violated the human rights of the villagers; however they did not initially agree to cancel the deeds. In response, the team targeted specific landlords to increase the effectiveness of their tactic. Subsequently, some landowners were persuaded to cancel their deeds, creating a precedent for others.
Commercial Interests vs. Local Livelihoods in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh in 1994-95, during the initial stages of the influx of commercial shrimp farming, the practice displaced coastal people’s lives and livelihoods in three districts: Khulana, Satkhira, and Bagerhat. About 3 million rural people’s lives were affected by outsider commercial shrimp farmers and other powerful groups initiating shrimp cultures on lands of absentee landlords. Outsider commercial shrimp farmers made deeds with absentee land owners to exploit the properties to create shrimp cultures. These shrimp cultures increased the salinity and affected homestead gardening and other village based occupations. These outside interests also organized hooligans to occupy the land and seriously effected the peace and security situation of the villages—particularly the women.
The primary victims of these human rights violations were the sharecroppers, poor peasants, and fisher folks in the southwest coastal areas of Bangladesh. The imposing commercial shrimp cultures increased salinity, disrupting the normal agriculture cycle and in turn affecting the lives and livelihoods of the villagers. This forceful occupation of land also led to the displacement of many sharecroppers and poor peasants.
The Role of Civil Society in Supporting Farmers
The actions of the commercial shrimp farmers and subsequent hooligans led to gross human rights violations in southwestern Bangladesh. The initial responses to the imposition of the shrimp culture were unorganized and sporadic. The villagers attempted to resist occupation through mobilization, however, they were unsuccessful due to the fact that the local police and powerful political figures supported the intruders. Most of the commercial farmers were able to show deeds from absentee landowners giving them permission to use the land. The villagers resisting occupation were falsely accused and tortured by police; their efforts ineffective.
In addition, a legal case was filed in an attempt to access the justice system. As the issue received national attention, civil society, especially NGOs, local journalists and lawyers, stood by the farmers. As pressure and attention increased, outsiders reduced their interventions and the farmers began to see success.
