Bangladesh, a country of 144 million people (July 2005 estimate), is in tough struggle for fighting poverty and establishing the rights of the citizens. A significant percentage of the country's people are extremely poor and are not even on the first rung of the development ladder. Of the poorest of the poor and the most disadvantaged include members of the ethnic communities and tea workers. CRITIQUES OF POLICIES AND PRACTICES: THE CASE OF FORESTS, ETHNIC COMMUNITIES AND TEA WORKERS explains some of the underlying factors that stand out to be worth attending in policy discussions.
The appalling condition of the forests and sufferings of the forest-dependent communities, especially the ethnic communities, clearly show anomalies in the policy regimes and practices. First, the country has been following wrong policies in many instances as regards the management of public forests, the home to tens of thousands of ethnic people and unique biodiversity resources. Simple monoculture plantation on the public forestland that has taken place in the past few decades is a clear manifestation of wrong public policies. Even the Forest Department high-ups recognize this. Second, the non-implementation of the existing safety nets provided by the national, regional and international instruments such as Bangladesh Constitution, the ILO convention, and the SAARC Social Charter is a major set-back. Third, the investment strategies of the international and financial institutions (IFS), different supranationals and globalization of capital make it quite difficult for Bangladesh and many other developing countries to adopt public policies in the community and national interest.
Tea industry and the condition of the tea plantation workers is another area to attend to understand the trouble with policy regimes in Bangladesh. Tea brings much desired cash for Bangladesh, but those who work on the ground to produce it are "captive" laborers and live in near servitude. They are socially, culturally, and politically isolated and excluded. There are some laws, principles and instruments to provide them some protection, but their non-implementation is perpetuated by political and social conditions and practices.
The CRITIQUES OF POLICIES AND PRACTICES: THE CASE OF FORESTS, ETHNIC COMMUNITIES AND TEA WORKERS provides information, anecdotes and critical insights to understand factors that make the laws, instruments and practices relating to the forests, forest-dwelling communities and the tea workers ineffective. The book, is an essential guide to understand the context of the weak public policy regimes of Bangladesh.
Authored by Philip Gain, Lucille Sircar and Shamimul Islam
Published 2005
108 pages in offset Price: Tk.150 US$5
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