Unsettled Tenure: Indigenous Land Rights Conflicts in Madhupur Sal Forest of Bangladesh

Md. Musfiq Al Mahadi; Nina Takashino; Md. Shamsuzzoha; Mohammad Golam Kibria; Md. Anwarul Abedin

doi:10.53941/jhrr.2026.100017

Abstract

This research investigates the chronic struggle over land rights in a community-based forest management system. The Madhupur Sal Forest (MSF) of Bangladesh, inhabited by indigenous Garo and Koch communities. The aim of this research was to examine the determinants of conflicts over land rights for the case of community-based forest management in Bangladesh’s Madhupur Sal Forest. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from 150 samples (75 each village of Magontinagor and Gachabaria) using semi-structured questionnaire. The results showed that over half (57%) of ethnic respondents disputed the Forest Department’s claim on their ancestral land, and three-quarters (74%) sought for customary rights to be reinstated. We found a statistically significant positive correlation between the amount of land claimed by the Forest Department and fear for loss of land (ρ = 0.931, p < 0.001) in being sure about forest development (ρ = 0.834, p < 0.001), regarding the illegal occupation of lands in forests (ρ = 0.748, p < 0.001). Official records indicate that more than 57,000 hectares of reserved forest land in Bangladesh have been encroached, reflecting broader governance and enforcement challenges related to forest management. These conflicts severely affect local livelihoods, foster distrust toward the Forest Department, and challenge conservation efforts. The findings emphasize that recognizing customary land tenure and ensuring participatory decision-making are essential to control conflicts and promoting sustainable forest management. These findings will help the policymakers to reform land tenure policies and integrate indigenous rights into national forest management strategies. This study also contributes to hazards and risk resilience by demonstrating how land tenure insecurity functions as a socio-institutional driver of risk, amplifying vulnerability and weakening community and ecosystem resilience in forest-dependent systems.

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