27 July commemorated with befitting manner

[Pathaklal]

27 July commemorated with befitting manner

A landless territory called Zaida Nagar (Formally Baburabad) Satkhira
in Bangladesh is stained with the blood of landless peasant women
Zaida, Member of Bangladesh Kishani Sabha which is the associate of
Bangladesh Krishok Federation. The heroic role and the sacrifice of
Zaida are ever remembered in the heart of landless people in
Bangladesh. In this territory the landless people call Zaida “Mother
Zaida” because at the cost of her life they achieved their right to
land in that areas. In 1998, 14 years ago since today there is a big
peasant revolt against conspiracies of the local big landowners and
corrupt administrative officials who had their vested interest around
the ceiling excess Khasland (Land on which no private ownership) on
which only the landless people have their right to enjoy. The
landless people regardless men, women and children took to the street
on the protest in order to protect their right from the ill efforts of
expropriation made by the local Joteder (big land owners) in
association with police administration. Zaida spearheaded the whole
struggle with courage and marched forward to the police who was ready
for atrocities. They shot Zaida to death and more than 200 landless
were injured and mutilated. The struggle continued for around 5 days.
It vibrated the entire Satkhira district as well as total nation. A
number of civil society groups grew and became very active to defend
the interest of landless people. As a result, the administration was
forced to refrain from resorting to the way of repression on the
landless. They cooled down and tried to find the way to reduce the
tension. Almost all hi-profile political leaders including the then
Prime Minister, leader of the opposition visited Zaida Nagar to pay
homage to martyr Zaida. So 27 July on which day Zaida was killed is
marked as Memorial Day for Zaida who was also buried in that area.
Every year on 27 July the floral wreath was placed in her graveyard
with so much respect to her and general feast is also available for
the landless people to take, to commemorate the day. The local groups
including Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha
also observed 27 July in Zaida Nagar this year. Various activists from
the local cross-sections participated in the commemoration. The
leaders of Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Badrul Alam who is the
president of the same and Pathak Lal Golder who is Office Secretary
took part in it. A procession was brought out and paraded the
territory with slogan on their land right. After the procession a
rally was held in the common space for the landless community. The
invited people who have been defending the landless people for long
addressed the rally and expressed continued support to the landless
people. Badrul Alam, President of Bangladesh Krishok Federation who
supervised the false case filed around the Khasland for which Zaida
sacrificed her life in the High Court and Supreme Court in 1995, spoke
in the rally adding that the struggle did not end rather it has put
new option for the landless for further struggle until the right of
landless on food sovereignty, climate justice and gender equality is
ensured. He declared the Zaida Nagar as one of the destinations of the
Caravan on Climate Change, Gender and Food Sovereignty taking place in
November through out the country. The courageous landless people
accepted it very warmly and felt proud that the guests from different
countries would come to visit their places and share the experiences.
The area is historically agricultural one. The world heritage mangrove
forest Sundarban is not so far. Unfortunately nowadays the area turned
shrimp culture area since a group of people are making money exporting
the shrimp outside. The landless and peasant farmers are seriously
victimised by the shrimp cultivation. They have lost their variety of
crops and bio-diversity all most forever. They are totally dependant
on the purchase for their agricultural products. They want to recover
their arable land but complication knows no bound. The possibility of
resilience is, for sure, not easy.
It can be mentioned that the landless in this area started their
occupation movement in early nineties. Although, they have their
triumph in the struggle but experiencing environmental disaster
coupled with the impact of climate change as well as global warming.
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