Land, Life, and Emotional Landscapes at the Margins of Bangladesh

This book explores the struggles of indigenous farmers in Bangladesh's borderlands, where they face land loss due to state programs such as border realignment, ecotourism, social forestry, and military cantonment. It argues that these conflicts revolve around existential questions and the survival of ways of life, highlighting the emotional and practical challenges faced by farmers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 21 July 2022
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

Drawing on two years of ethnographic research in the north-eastern borderlands of Bangladesh, this book delves into the poignant and ongoing struggles of indigenous farmers who face the imminent threat of losing their ancestral lands due to a range of state programmes. These programmes include the realignment of the national border, ecotourism, social forestry, and the establishment of a military cantonment. In pursuing these initiatives, state actors relentlessly challenge the fundamental right of farmers to their land, creating violent spaces where multiple forms of marginalisation intersect and reinforce each other. Through a meticulous mapping of farmers' emotional and practical responses to these challenges, the book argues that these land conflicts serve as a fertile ground for existential disputes, where the survival efforts of farmers clash with the political imaginations and practices of the nation-state.

The analysis unveiled in this book goes beyond mere deprivations of material assets; it reveals that losing land represents the extinction of entire ways of life. It sheds light on the deep-rooted connections between land, culture, and identity, highlighting the devastating impact that land loss has on the livelihoods, traditions, and well-being of these communities. The book underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive and inclusive approach to address these land conflicts, one that recognises the rights and livelihoods of indigenous farmers and seeks to find sustainable solutions that uphold their dignity and autonomy.

In conclusion, this book offers a profound exploration of the complex dynamics between state programmes, indigenous farmers, and the broader socio-political context of the north-eastern borderlands of Bangladesh. It sheds light on the ongoing struggles and sacrifices of these farmers, while also raising crucial questions about the role of the state, the rights of communities, and the future of land and livelihoods in this region.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789463721752