In Bangladesh, land is more than an economic resource. It signifies dignity, authority, and security.
This blog draws on my dissertation research, undertaken in collaboration with the International Land Coalition (ILC). My dissertation explored the barriers preventing women from securing land rights in Bangladesh. Through interviews, with NGOs and analysis of existing policies, the study explores how patriarchy, discriminatory inheritance laws, landlessness, and governance gaps converge to deny women what is rightfully theirs.
For Bangladeshi women, ownership of land means being able to transform their lives because it offers independence, recognition in the household and community and most importantly escape from poverty and marital violence. Despite this, women remain disincluded from this fundamental right.
Why Land Matters for Women
Across rural Bangladesh, access to land determines whether women are seen as decision-makers or dependants. Land ownership provides collateral for loans, enables participation in decisions about lands and offers an escape from abusive marriages. One of the participants stated:
“If a woman has her own land, she can walk out of a violent marriage because she has somewhere to go. Without that, she stays silent.”
The United Nations Human Rights Council has affirmed that land rights are central to equality and dignity. This perspective highlights findings from Bangladesh where land is not just an economic asset but the basis of identity, bargaining power, and social recognition. Yet for women in Bangladesh, these rights remain non-existent because their ability to claim land is curtailed by cultural and structural barriers.
The Barriers Women Face
Patriarchal Norms
Social expectations place enormous pressure on women to give up inheritance claims. Daughters who assert their rights are often seen as greedy and disruptive. Women are expected to depend on their fathers, husbands, and later sons, hence reinforcing a life-long cycle of women’s dependence on the male family members. One of the participants stated:
"Women they don’t even ask, they feel shy because if they do the family says she is greedy, she doesn’t care about her brothers."
Patriarchy therefore, is not just cultural but also institutionalised in family life and further reinforced by community attitudes that normalise male control over property.
Discriminatory Inheritance Laws
Religious inheritance laws institutionalise inequality across communities.
- Under Muslim Personal Law, daughters inherit half the share of sons, while widows receive even less if male heirs are present.
- Under Hindu Personal Law, which has not been reformed women are excluded entirely from land ownership once married.
- Lastly, minority women under the Succession Act of 1925 are entitled to equal rights on paper but in practice, weak awareness and enforcement diminish these protections.
Repeated attempts to reform inheritance provisions in the National Women’s Development Policy faced resistance from religious groups. The eventual 2011 policy avoided addressing inheritance altogether, reflecting the state’s reluctance to challenge authority.
Landlessness and the Khas Land System
Landlessness is a defining feature of rural poverty. Bangladesh’s Khas Land policy was formed to address the issue of landlessness. Under this, state-owned land is redistributed amongst the landless. However, women often find themselves excluded from this policy as well because the eligibility rules clearly state that women with abled body sons are granted access to khas land but those who are widows or single are clearly disincluded.
Even when women’s names do appear on paper, they are unable to claim their rights. As was highlighted by one of the participants:
“On paper the land is given to the women. But when she goes to take it men come with musclemen and they just evict her. There is no protection for her.”
The problem of fair distribution of Khas Land is especially compounded by corruption and political connections. Studies show that as much as one-fifth of the Khas Land is diverted to families with political connections, leaving the most vulnerable, particularly women without support.
Policy Gaps and Governance Failures
Bangladesh’s governance system is divided between statutory laws and personal. In Bangladesh’s scenario personal laws always overpower statutory laws. While the constitution of Bangladesh guarantees equality, personal laws contradict this principle. Policies such as the National Women’s Development Policy avoid sensitive issues like inheritance altogether.
It was highlighted by the participants how fragmented responsibilities between ministries add further confusion with NGOs themselves because they find it difficult to report to the relevant authority. As was stated by a participant
"Land is divided between three ministries. Even NGOs cannot figure out which one to go. Women they are lost in this mess.”
These governance gaps ensure that even where legal recognition exists, women remain unable to exercise their rights.
Why Ownership Matters
Many women in rural Bangladesh spend more time on the land than the male members of the family and yet they do not hold legal titles. Without ownership, they lack protection against eviction, collateral for credit, and the recognition that comes with being named as owner. As one of the participants explained:
"When a woman has her name on the deed, she feels safe. Without it, she fears every day that she can be thrown out.”
Ownership is therefore, not just a technical issue but is instead a source of social recognition and psychological security.