Meet Apurba Das, NES Facilitator in Bangladesh

Apurba: I joined the Bangladesh Land Rights Network (BLRN) only recently, in June 2021. As facilitator, my role and responsibilities include coordinating the platform, supporting in both the planning and implementation of activities, as well as reporting. I also organise the meetings of the Steering Committee and communicate with focal points of BLRN members and partners.

Apurba: the strength of our platform is that it builds on the extensive experience of its members on land governance and environmental issues. Some of our members have pioneered the promotion of land rights in Bangladesh and have direct experience working with communities. While most of our members have already been working together, BLRN now offers an institutional setting to advance together their objective systematically.

Apurba: BLRN members and partners often implement activities at local and district level but the level of ownership there differs significantly and sometimes we are unable to harvest the fruits of our labour. The platform therefore would need to establish a stronger follow up mechanism to understand the outcomes of initiatives that have been promoted jointly and further the engagement with local stakeholders.

Apurba: our platform has been able to engage an extensive network, reaching national level personalities who are raising their voices in support of our struggle. Land rights issues are not confined to platform members and all of civil society should be involved, from leaders at community level to high level personalities.

Apurba: every country works according to its own context and I would like to learn their practical experiences, especially in documenting and reporting effectively their grassroots level experiences.