Vanishing farmland, vanishing future

Are policymakers seriously thinking about what Bangladesh will be like in the next 25 years or 50 years if the current trend of losing land continues or even accelerates? It is not a hypothetical question; it is a question about the country's stability and security. Because the country is quietly moving into a future in which feeding its own people will be a challenging task.

Every year, concrete takes over huge tracts of fertile land. Housing units, brick kilns, factories, and business establishments are encroaching upon land that was previously used for growing rice and other produce. According to the Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI), Bangladesh loses around 68,760 hectares of arable land to non-agricultural activities every year.

The implications of the trend are alarming. Bangladesh has made remarkable progress towards attainment of sufficiency in foodstuff production - an important part in the maintenance of stability. The reduction in agricultural land poses a direct threat to the sustainability of the achievement.

The pressure on land can also be understood to some extent. As one of the most densely populated countries and a fast-growing economy of the world, the requirement for land for establishment of infrastructure and industries is increasing in Bangladesh. What starts with the construction of one house on agricultural land eventually leads to the construction of several houses, finally leading to the complete disappearance of the land used for agriculture.

The most worrying aspect is the lack of control over land. In the case of cities and towns, there is some measure of regulation and planning. However, in rural areas and villages across the nation, anyone can build structures almost anywhere without any form of approval.

The government has lately recognised the gravity of the issue and has promulgated the Land Use Control and Agricultural Land Protection Ordinance 2026. This legislation has been designed to prevent the transformation of agricultural land, wetlands, and hills into non-agricultural land without government approval. It also provides for a range of penalties for those who violate the rules, including a jail term of up to two years and a fine of Tk 0.4-0.5 million.

On paper, the ordinance is a major step forward, as it seems to indicate a realisation at the policy level of the importance of farmland protection for the country's future. The true test, of course, will concern how the policy is implemented in practice. Bangladesh is handling the matter very late, as other developing nations have already had to contend with the problem and have implemented very stringent land use policies to safeguard their agricultural lands.

One of the best examples of a country that has implemented very effective land use policies to safeguard its agricultural land is China. In fact, no house can be constructed, even in the remotest of areas, without the permission of the relevant authorities, including the Natural Resources Bureau and the Planning Department. The Land Administration Law of China, which came into effect in 2004, imposes very stiff penalties for violation of the law, including imposition of fines, the destruction of the structures and the restoration of the land to its original state.

Bangladesh does not need to invent anything for protection of farmland. The lessons are already there. What is needed is to have the political will and administrative capability to enforce the same level of regulation and discipline. Farmland protection is crucial not only for agriculture but also for national security and stability. A nation that cannot produce enough food for its own people becomes increasingly dependent on imports, thereby becoming vulnerable to global price shocks.

Although belated, Bangladesh has got a legislation to regulate the use of farmland, but mere promulgation of the legislation will not be enough. The government will need to ensure that it is properly enforced across the country. It will require extending the regulatory oversight to the countryside to make sure that use of farmland does not go unregulated.

rahmansrdk@gmail.com