Charland in Bangladesh : Political Economy of Ignored Resource/Abul Barkat, Prosanta K. Roy and Md. Shahnewaz Khan. Dhaka, Pathak Shamabesh Book, 2007, 246 p., tables, ISBN 984-8120-67-X.

    Contents: Foreword. Acknowledgement. 1. A brief sketch. 2. River dynamics and char formation: some conceptual issues. 3. Char land: pertinent legal and management issues. 4. Demographic and social profile of char people: survey analysis. 5. Landlessness and poverty. 6. Violence in char: evidence from secondary sources. 7. Deprivation of char people: some cases. 8. Political economy of mismanagement: gross failure of expectation of char people. 9. Provision of title on reformed land after 30 years of erosion. 10. Char land: what went wrong and what needs to be done. Annex. Data collection instruments. Glossary. References. Index.

    "Within the overall socio-economic and political context of Bangladesh, CHAR LAND remains an ignored national resource. Rescuing char lands from illegal occupation and grabbing, redistribution of those among the poor people in the chars, appropriate management of char lands, enactment and implementation of pertinent rules and practices, and participation of char people in the process - all these constitute prime issues of agrarian reform in Bangladesh.

    Char people have got into a trap of distress, destitution and deprivation. About 90 percent of the char people are river eroded with almost all of them being landless or functional landless and 97 percent living without rehabilitation. Conflict, violence and bloodshed seem to be a never-ending dilemma in the life in char.

    Agrarian reform is a must to ensure human development in Bangladesh. In realizing this, char people's right to land and right to rehabilitation should be realized. High political commitment coupled with respect to char people's voice and organized movement for land and water-bodies are necessary." (jacket)

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