17 April: Farm workers in Gazipur, Bangladesh mobilise to demand agrarian reform

In the memory of 19 Brazilian landless peasants who were massacred in Eldorado do Carajás on 17 April 1996,the Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation (BAFLF) and National Women Farmers and Workers association (NWFA) observed International Day of Peasant’s Struggle on this date.

They called for the implementation of the United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas, which was adopted by United Nations General Assembly on 17 December, 2018.

Hundreds of farmers, farm workers, peasant women attended the demonstration at Gazipur.

The following demands were placed to esnure the implementation of UN declaration on Peasants’ right:

• The ownership of land is to be determined on the principal that those who cultivate land are owners of that land.
• Recognition of peasant women as farmers and ensure equal rights and control over land and other resources
• Stop the introduction and cultivation of GMO crops including GE Golden Rice and BT Brinjal
• Resist corporate aggression, the use and import of GMO seeds and ban chemical pesticides
• Incentive to be given to local farmers to protect local seeds and promote farmers’ control over seeds and territories.
• Ensuring food sovereignty rights of people through agrarian reform and social justice
• Government must enhance the capacities of public sector in seeds productions and distribution and more allocation for BADC must be ensured.

BAFLF general Secretary presided over the meeting while NWFA member Sharmin Akter conducted the programme. Among other Golam Sorowor, MD Mamun Hossen, Md Ranju Khan of BAFLF and Nurjahan Begum, Sharmin Sultana of NWFA spoke at the mobilization.