Land is like gold in Bangladesh. Per capita cultivable land in the country is about 0.2 acres, which is one of the lowest in the world. The forest, another vital need of Bangladesh is also very limited.  In 1927, when the Indian Forest Act of 1878 was revised, and which is still in force in the Indian sub-continent, Bangladesh was around 20 per cent covered by forests. But the cover has now shrunk to about 6%. Per capita forest land in Bangladesh has come down to .022 hectares, which is said to be the lowest in the world. The annual deforestation rate in the country is alarming—3.3% compared to 0.6% in South Asia.

The miserably limited forest resources and rapid deforestation have severe impacts on forest dwelling ethnic people. Plantations and other development activities are making their life difficult instead of giving them economic salvation. Who is responsible for this precarious condition? Who can save the last stands and the forest people? How do the forest people relate to the trees? What are their rights?

A host of contributors have attempted to provide answers to these questions in the book, Bangladesh: Land, Forest and Forest People. The writers who include anthropologists, environmentalists, lawyers, journalists and human rights activists who have all merged into one voice: Bangladesh’s forest and forest people need care and protection.

Publication Details

Published: 1998 (2nd edition)
Language: English
Paperback: 187 pages
Editor: Philip Gain
Price: Tk.250 / US$10