2
policies changed
1
practices changed
115,155
people with tenure security
5,335
hectares secured
Land rights in Bangladesh
With an estimated population of 160 million distributed over 150,000 square kilometres, Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Understandably, the pressure on land is tremendous. A historic absence of land reforms in the country exacerbates the pressure and has resulted in a huge disparity in land ownership.
Because 20% of the population owns 80% of land in Bangladesh, a vast number of citizens are functionally landless.
While recent economic advancements in Bangladesh have reduced poverty, they have simultaneously upended the fragile balance between land and people. As urbanisation increases, so too does the demand for land dedicated to industrial development.
In addition, despite the gradual poverty reduction, higher rates of poverty remain among the country’s indigenous minority population and several other marginalised and disadvantaged groups, including women and religious minorities. Lack of land ownership is a major reason for their economic poverty. In the case of Indigenous Peoples, the government's failure to recognise customary tenure also contributes to their often fragile economies.
