A big peasant and landless protest took place in Bangladesh against Badrul Alam and his extortionist group on 6th February 2019.

​The protest was led by the vice-general secretary of BKF Harun Vandari, BKS vice-president Rehana Begum Mitu and other central and district leaders. In the rally, the BKF and BKS leaders spoke about the concerning different facts on the grassroots level. Leaders said that Badrul Alam is an identified human trafficker and expelled from Bangladesh Krishok Federation (BKF) two years ago. After expulsion, Badrul Alam immediately joined with an identified extortionist group led by Zayed Ikbal Khan. Now both Badrul Alam and Zayed Ikbal Khan are together trying to revive their human trafficking activities while trying to grab money by extortion from the landless. The badrul-zayed group is abusing the government declaration to distribute Khas Land among the landless people. The group is giving fake commitments to landless families. Badrul-Zayed group are telling that the landless families will only get the Khas Land if they give a certain amount of money to them. There are already lots of allegations from landless families in Barisal district and especially in Rashulpur Char. In the rally, leaders demanded the government to arrest Badrul Alam and Zayed Ikbal Khan to save thousands of landless families from extortionist group.
 
The protest got huge coverage in the national and local media while few newspapers already published investigative report on Badrul-Zayed group's human trafficking and extortion activities. 

​Bangladesh Krishok Federation (BKF) and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha (BKS) organised the press conference on 25 November 2018 in southern divisional city Barisal where Badrul Alam-Zayed Khan group trying to cheat landless families again. BKF and BKS demanded to the government to arrest Badrul Alam and Zayed Khan and save landless families from their grip.
 
Before the press conference, there was meeting of the grassroots leaders of BKF and BKS. The grassroots leaders from all the sub-district of Barisal participated in the meeting and later the press conference.
 
Media coverage was very well when lots of national and local journalists were present in the press conference. 
​

​Memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to VOTE in UN in favour of ‘United Nations Declaration on Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas’
 
#LaViaCampesina  #PeasantRightsNow  #Bangladesh #BangladeshKrishokFederation #ClimateJusticeBangladesh #FoodSovereigntyBangladesh #ViaCampesinaBangladesh
 
Bangladesh Krishok Federation (BKF) and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha (BKS) jointly organised a big peasant and landless mobilisation in southern divisional city Barisal. Hundreds of peasants and landless people gathered in front of Barisal Town Hall and stand alongside the street with Festoons and Banner. In the gathering, BKF and BKS leaders spokes about La Via Campesina   and its "declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas". The program led by BKF Barisal district president and central co-general secretary Harun Vandari, BKF Barisal district president Rehena Begum Mitu, BKF Central leader Niloy Adhikari, Barisal district secretary Halim Mohuri, BKS Barisal district secretary Kamrunnahar Mili, district leader Renu Begum, Usuf Akan and other district and sub-district leaders. 

​After the speeches, there was a militant procession with slogans to demand the Bangladeshi vote in UN in fever of peasants and landless. The procession was culminated in front of district commissioner's office and group of BKF and BKS leaders went to district commissioner office and gave the memorandum to the DC for sending to the Prime Minister's office through official channel. Later on, BKF leaders also sent another copy of same memorandum to the Prime Ministers office in capital Dhaka by post. In the memorandum, BKS and BKS have only one demand, Bangladeshi vote have to go in fever of ‘United Nations Declaration on Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas’ during the UN General Assembly in New York.
 
In the gathering, BKF and BKS leaders described to the people that how the 'United Nations Declaration on Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas' will benefited to peasants and landless people in Bangladesh if it passed in UN General Assembly. This declaration can give the better chance to the Bangladeshi peasants and landless communities to achieving food sovereignty and fighting climate change, leaders said in the gathering. Leaders also announced that BKF and BKS will take the message of the Declaration to rural agricultural communities across Bangladesh. 

On the 9th August 2018 Bangladesh Krishok Federation (BKF) and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha (BKS) organised a peasant and landless gathering in Nageswari sub-district of northern Kurigram district. Small-scale farmers and landless people from different village of Nageswari sub-district came to the Egaromatha village and attended the procession and rally there. Few BKF and BKS leaders from other sub-districts of Kurigram district also joined in the gathering. The BKS president Asma Begum was present as a chief guest in the gathering.
 
In the gathering BKF and BKS leaders demanded to the local government to distribute all the Khash land and common water-bodies of Nageswari sub-district to the local landless and fisherfolk people to uphold the Bangladeshi land manual as well as follow the government declaration. Leaders also demanded profitable price for all the agricultural products in the harvesting season. In the gathering leaders spoke about agro based industries which can be sustainable way to solve the severe unemployment problem in the rural area.
 
In the gathering local leaders expressed their commitment to continue and intensify the fight until fulfil farmers and landless communities demands.
 
Korban Ali became president whereas Mohammed Mostofa selected general secretary of the new Nageswari sub-district committee of BKF. And Majeda Begum became president and Aisya Begum selected general secretary of the BKS Nageswari sub-district committee. The new BKF and BKS committees vowed to intensify the campaigns to getting food sovereignty and climate justice.

​






​




​Bangladesh Krishok Federation (BKF), Bangladesh Kishani Sabha (BKS) and Bangladesh Adivashi Samity (BAS) took the initiative and 11 other indigenous organisations from greater Dinajpur region came together to fight for their fundamental rights. Constitutional recognition of the indigenous communities, forming an independent land commission to ensure the land rights of the indigenous citizens and taking the proper initiative to stop land grabbing of the Adivasis are the key demands. Bangladesh Adivasi Mukti Morcha, Dinajpur Oraon Youth Club, Dinajpur Adivashi Samaj Unnyon Somity, Northern Adivashi Cultural Coalition, Northern Adivashi Student Coalition (NASU), Adivashi Student Parishad, Bangladesh Minority Watch Dinajpur Chapter, Oraon Shisu-Kishor Theatre, Santal Student Union (SASU), Adivashi Chatro Sangathone Habiprobi and Dinajpur Adivashi Foram now active with the BKF, BKS and BAS campaigns for indigenous and peasants rights.
 
On the 7th of July 2018, BKF, BKS, BAS and other eleven organisations jointly observed historical Santal peasant revolt day in Dinajpur. It was 1855; Santal uprising was against ruthless exploitation of the British colonial rule. On 30th June 1855, a large number of Santals assembled in a field in Bhagnadihi village of Santal Paragana (present Jharkhand, India). They declared themselves as free and took oath under the leadership of Sido Murmu and Kanhu Murmu to fight to the last against the British rulers as well as their agents.
 
Militant mood of the Santals frightened the authority. A Police agent confronted them on the 7th July and tried to place the Murmu brothers under arrest. The angry crowd reacted violently and killed the Police agent and his companions. The event sparked off a series of confrontations with the Company's Army and subsequently reached the scale of a full-fledged war.

At the outset, Santal rebels, led by Sido and Kanhu, made tremendous gains and captured control over a large tract of the country extending from Rajmahal hills in Bhagalpur district to Sainthia in Birbhum district. However, the rebels could not hold on to their gains due to the superior fire power of the East India Company which was soon aimed heavily at them. Out of 50,000 Santal rebels, 15,000 -20,000 were killed by the British Indian Army. The Company was finally able to suppress the rebellion in 1856, though some outbreaks continued till 1857.
 
The Santal revolt had a long-lasting impact. Santal Parganas Tenancy Act was the outcome of this struggle, which dished out some sort of protection to the indigenous people from the ruthless colonial exploitation. A Santal territory (Jharkhand) was born. The regular police were abolished and the duty of keeping peace and order and arresting criminals was vested in the hands of parganait and village headman.

Even today Santal revolt is inspiring the indigenous communities and all other agricultural communities to build strong campaigns to get all the rights. In Dinajpur, 11 more organisations raise their hands to support and join with the BKF, BKS, BAS campaigns on the basis of the Santal revolt day inspiration as well.
 
BAS president Sree Bisawnath Singh presided over the meeting in the Dinajpur press club. In the meeting BAS adviser Arif Khan Yousuf Zai was present as a chief guest, whereas Rangpur divisional Hindu Federation leader Kamol Kantha Karmakar, Minority Watch Dinajpur chapter leader Shyamal Banarjhi, Mikhail Tudu, Rima Rebeka Murmu, Gaibandha District BRAC manager Bidhan Baskey, news editor of Daily Janamath Latifur Rahman, Minoti Oraon and Dr Aziz were present as special guests. In the meeting, speakers were vowed to keep the coalition strength and intensify the campaign to preserve the indigenous rights as well as peasant rights. After the meeting, a big procession rounds the different streets of Dinajpur city.  

​Bangladesh Krishok Federation (BKF) and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha (BKS) formed a district committee in Gazipur district which is one of the biggest industrialised district of Bangladesh and adjacent district of capital Dhaka. In the committee formed council was held on 18 May 2018 in Vadam of Tongi sub-district. BKS president Asma begum was present as a chief guest of the council.
 
In the BKF Dr. Mostafizur Rahman selected president and Ashraful Alam Babul is general secretary while Rayhan Kabir selected organising secretary of the new Gazipur district committee. In the BKS Dr. Shila Rani selected president and Keya Khan is the general secretary while Jorona Begum selected organising secretary in the newly formed Gazipur district committee.
 
The new BKF and BKS Gazipur district committee took oath that they will build strong campaign for local peasants, landless and garments workers to reserved their rights.