Haor Farmers and Fishers Alliance (HFFA)
Location: Gach Bazar, Sholakia, Kishoreganj, Bangladesh
Contact Person: Khandokar Mahabubur Rahman, President
Phone: +01755579107
E-mail: hffa@gmx.com

Haor Farmers and Fishers Alliance is a platform to raise the voices of farmers and fishers in Haor. HFFA aims for a society where farmers and fishers are living meaningful lives where they are able to enjoy their legitimate rights. The objectives of HFFA are to establish knowledge-based on farmers and fishers communities; create an enabling environment for farmers and fishers to identify their legitimate rights and appropriate responsibilities, and enhance the capacities of farmers and fishers in utilizing resources sustainably.  HFFA implement activities including peer learning, knowledge gathering and sharing, field-based group discussion, TV show-based discussion, radio program-based discussion, and discussion on agriculture-related news. HFFA has 16000 members.

National Women Farmers & Workers Association (NWFA)
Location: 13 Road No. 5, Block-A, Naljani moddhopara, Chandona chourasta, Joydebpur, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Contact Person: Nasrin Sultana, President
Phone: +8801718 713906
E-mail: bpsatsbd@gmail.com
Facebook: www.fb.com/NWFABD

The National Women Farmers & Workers Association (NWFA)was set up in 1993 as an organization of women farmers, women farmworkers, poor and rural women agriculture workers, and self-employed women workers of the informal sector. It has a membership of 46556 (8500 inside farm and 38056 outside farm).

NWFA envision ‘a just and equitable society free from exploitation, deprivation, and discrimination in which women enjoy their rights, dignity, power, freedom, and equality’. The association aims ‘to develop an organization of women workers and women farmers and movements through participation by women and promote women rights, women self-reliance, and decent work, and sustainable development of women and rural life’.

NWFA fights for ensuring the right to a living wage, for permanent jobs with stable incomes, for improvements in health and safety, for gender equality and economic justice, for climate justice, and for freedom of association/trade union rights of agriculture workers and their political, social and cultural right.

NWFA takes an active stand on issues that affect agriculture, rural women workers’ and peasants’ as well as women’s rights. It advocates for farmers’ control of seeds and technologies, and genuine agrarian reform. 

NWFA organizes and mobilizes women and women workers and form women’s committees. It also organizes local/national level mobilizations, press conferences, discussions, meetings, workshops, and seminars. NWFA conducts a case study and produces educational materials on the vulnerability of women and violence against women. It also gathers information, conducts studies, and surveys on the effect of climate change on women agriculture workers and farmers’ food rights, water rights, and livelihood and employment.

NWFA disseminates information and builds knowledge based on women farmers and workers community and develop materials on climate change linking to food rights, water rights, land rights, and GMO food for awareness, education, and training. NWFA also facilitates establishments of seed banks, tree plantations, and kitchen gardens. NWFA helps to establish a linkage among service providers and peasants.

Bangladesh Krishok Federation – Jayed Iqbal (BKF-JI)
Location: 1721 South Rayerbagh, Kadamtali, Dhaka 1362, Bangladesh
Contact Person: Jayed Iqbal Khan, General Secretary
Phone: +088-01911-039933

The Bangladesh Krishok Federation – Jayed Iqbal was founded in 1976 in Jayram village of then Pabna district under the leadership of Abdus Sattar Khan, a renowned peasant leader of Bangladesh. The goal of the organization is to establish a single platform for all kinds of peasants—marginal, big, medium, and day laborers—in a view to establishing an independent peasant movement. BKF’s constitution states that there should be an organizational structure starting from the village, that is village committee, union committee, upazila committee, district committee, and national and central committee. The leadership of the organization is elected at all stages. As of 2006, there were 600000 members of the organization. BKF has successfully established the rights of landless peasants in khas land distribution in coastal chars of Patuakhali district and succeeded to include landless peasants in upazilas of Patuakhali district as members of Upazila Khas land distribution committee. The other issues addressed by BKF include problems of ensuring fair price of agricultural products for farmers, adequate government budget in agriculture, distribution of Khas land to landless farmers, and fixing the ceiling of ownership of land. BKF used organizing and mobilizing to address these issues.

BKF can mobilize farmers in Dhaka city for policy engagement. The organization also has a bank account with a transparent account system. BKF maintains trust and goodwill among the farmers in the majority of districts of Bangladesh; it has a good relationship with the South Asian farmers organization.

Kendrio Krishok Moitree (KKM)
Location: College Road, Usman Pur, Ghiraghat, Dinajpur, Bangladesh
Contact Person: Ala Uddin, Central Committee Member
Phone: +88 01718-628302

The Kendrio Krishok Moitree was founded in 2009 as an outcome of a project called “Food Security for Sustainable Household Livelihood” (FOSHOL) funded by the European Commission (EC) and Action Aid Bangladesh (AAB) for the period of 2005-2009 in 7 districts of Bangladesh. The main objective of the project was to provide food security support/ assistance to 21556 poor households dependent on agriculture. KKM is continuously supported by AAB.

KKM is a membership-based organization and a union-based federation of farmers group. It is comprised of 31 union federation of 837 village level (krishok deal) farmers groups under 10 upazilas of 7 districts. KKM is comprised of 90 elected members of 31 union federations. At the village level, the membership is comprised of 25 to 40 farmers. KKM has taken initiatives to form a national forum of farmers called “Sara Bangle Krishok Jote” (All Bengal Farmers Forum). KKM is a member of the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), through which KKM was associated with 17 Asian-based organizations. KKM has linkages with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Bangladesh Agriculture Department Corporation (BADC), Action Aid Bangladesh, and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). As of 2009, the membership of KKM is 21556, among them 40% are women. KKM applied for registration for a joint-stock company at the central level and also from cooperatives at upazila level.

KKM aims to materialize the rights of deprived and marginalized farmers, ensure food security, materialize the dignity and recognition of women farmers, sustainable livelihood, pro-farmers policies, and work for dignity and well-being in the life of farmers through strengthening the organization of farmers and also by forming a national coalition of farmers in Bangladesh.

KKM has addressed issues including food sovereignty and food security, pro-farmer’s national policy, recognition and dignity of women farmers, regenerative/sustainable agriculture, social justice, strong farmers organization, and formation of national farmers forum. Among KKM’s activities are production and distribution of quality seeds, establishing seed bank by farmers, pre and post-budget discussion in a view to formulating pro-farmers policies, women leadership development to achieve recognition and dignity of women farmers, practicing natural or regenerative agriculture, social justice and formation of farmers’ organization and forum.

KKM’s achievements include: increased women farmers leadership and visibility, received recognition from BADC to provide seed certificate of grading of the seed company, popularized organic agriculture among the farming communities in working areas, contributing to quality seeds production and distribution in working areas, and successful in terms of profitability and sustainability in quality rice seed ‘production and distribution.

Bangladesh Adivasi Samity (BAS)
Location: 9/H Ismail Mansion, 4th floor, Room No: 405, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Contact Person: Sri Biswanath Singh, President
Telephone: +88- 02- 9559980
Mobile Phone: +01750581389

The Bangladesh Adivasi Samity was established in 1993 by Sri Biswanath Singh, a human rights defender who worked to protect and uphold the rights of indigenous communities. “Adivasi” is a Bangla word which means “Indigenous People”. Among the major issues addressed by BAS are land rights of the Indigenous People, recognition of constitutional rights of the Indigenous people, and the formation of Land Commission for Indigenous people of plain land. The major strength of the organization is mobilizing to protect the rights of the indigenous communities. The organization also arranges press conferences and seminars at the district level. BAS also provides legal assistance to Indigenous Peoples, and they have successful cases of legal battles. BAS has linkages with national and international organizations. At the national level, it works with Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples. BAS is a member of La Via Campesina.

Bangladesh Krishok Federation (BKF)
Location: 9/H Ismail Mansion, 4th floor, Room No: 405, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Contact Person: Badrul Alam, President
Phone: +88- 02- 9559980

The Bangladesh Krishok Federation is a membership-based organization founded in 1976 by Badruddin Umar and Abdus Sattar Khan. BKF has good contact with grassroots in 20 districts and has a good organization in 10 districts, namely Kurigram, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Khulna, Patuakhli, Bhola, Barisal, Mymensingh, and Satkhira. At present, the estimated number of members is 5000. Among the critical issues addressed by BKF are food sovereignty, agrarian reform, and climate change through mobilization and training. It also has experiences in khas land distribution. BKF is a member of La Via Campesina and the Asian Peasant Coalition.

Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity (BBS)
Location: 16/17 Adarsha Chayaneer, Ring Road, Shyamoli, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
Contact Person: Subal Sarkar, General Secretary
Contact Number: +88 01711183597
E-mail: bbsbangla@yahoo.com

The Bangladesh Buminhin Samity was established on 22 March 1982 to protect the rights of rural workers. BBS was established by a group of advocates of peasant rights.

BBS’ constitution states that it should have a committee at the village, union, upazila, and district level. The national committee is the highest decision-making body of the organization followed by the executive committee.

The major activities of the organization are mobilizing the rural landless people to materialize demands for a fair price of agriculture products, increase subsidy in agriculture, and increase budgetary allocation for agriculture. The organization publishes newsletters and leaflets for distribution at the district level.  BBS is an independent organization in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation (BAFLF)
Location: 13, Road No. 5, Block-A, Naljani Moddhopara, Chandona Chourasta, Joydebpur, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Contact Person: Golam Sorowor, Finance Secretary, BAFLF
Phone: +8801711951709
Fax: +88 02 9009019
E-mail: baflfbd@gmail.com
Website: http://baflf.blogspot.com

The Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation is a national federation of the trade union of agricultural farm laborers, registered as a trade union. BAFLF was established in 1978 for materializing the rights of farm laborers, ensuring food security and agrarian rights. All the workers under government agriculture farms especially agricultural research farms are registered under the banner of BAFLF. BAFLF envisions a free society based on justice, food sovereignty, environmental sustainability, equality, and peace. It aims to promote workers’ rights as well as human rights, sustainable development of agriculture workers, and rural life. As of 2012, BAFLF has 100,000 members.

Among the critical issues addressed by BAFLF are providing increased gratuity, weekly holidays, maternity allowance, and festival allowance. BAFLF has helped in raising wages, allowances, and making jobs permanent.

Labour Resource Centre (LRC)
Location: 8/A/1, Floor: C7, Road: 14 (New), Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh
Contact Person: Shibli Anowar, General Secretary
Phone: +88 01711 565998 / +88 8127759
E-mail: labourrc@gmail.com / anowarn@yahoo.com

The Labour Resource Centre was founded in 2005 and was registered at NGO Affairs Bureau in 2007. LRC has been working to organize the landless people including agriculture laborers, rural workers, garment workers, slum dwellers, and other marginalized groups of society to establish their legitimate rights in the society. Among the critical issues addressed by LRC are problems of capital and seed problem.

Coastal Farmers’ Organization (CFO)
Location: COAST Trust, House# 13 (1st Floor) Metro Melody, Road# 2, Shyamoli, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
Contact Person: Mizanur Rahman, Coordinator
Phone: +(88 02) 8125181,9118435
Fax: +(88 02) 9129395,
E-mail: info@coastbd.org
Website: http://www.coastbd.org

The Coastal Farmers’ Organization is an outcome of a project implemented by COAST Trust. There are 180 farmers in CFO covered in 3 districts of Bhola, Noakhali, and Cox’s Bazar, comprising 15 to 20 members in a group. The total number of members is 36000, among them 80% male and 20% female. There is a ward committee, union committee, and upazila committee in CFO. CFO is managed and facilitated by COAST Trust. CFO conducts mobilization to materialize the rights of farmers, technology transfer, and establishment of linkage with government services. Technology transfer is one of the major successes of COAST Trust along with CFO. COAST has transferred 14 technologies to the framers and it is mostly related to organic/natural agriculture. COAST also provides/arranges emergency medical support for livestock in remote coastal chars. Other issues addressed by CFO are seed and land problems, the fair price of agricultural products, and adaptive technology for climate change.

COAST has been providing technical support for self-sufficiency in seed preservation called the “Maria Model” and has been linking the landless farmers with community legal services at the district level to get khas land. COAST has been implementing participatory action research with farmers to promote adaptive technology with a view to addressing the problems of climate change.

Challenges faced by CFO include funding, farmers are interested to get immediate profit/ benefit, and lack of awareness among farmers about the problems related to agricultural policies and their impact on them.