Livelihood Status of the People Living in Unified Enclaves (Chitmahal) of Bangladesh

Abstract

The study was under take to determine and describe the general characteristic of respondents, to explore present livelihood status of unified enclaves people and to identify problems faced by them. The study was conducted at different unified enclaves’ areas of Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Panchagarh and Nilphamari district during December 2016-June 2017. A total 200 respondents were randomly selected from unified enclave areas for the study 50 from each district. Thirty two percent residents live in straw and mud wall houses and side walls are developed either by tin or by bamboo or other low cost materials and poor families (29%) have walls made by jute sticks. Agriculture is the main source of livelihoods in these areas (80%) including agricultural day labour. Non-farm activities (20%) are mainly limited to shop keeping or trading, rickshaw van pulling. No formal educational institute sponsored by government or private sector was found in unified enclave areas but recently people in enclave areas have built new structures with signboard on their lands by own finances with the hope that their relatives and peers will get jobs if the government approves the scheme. There is no community clinic or primary healthcare facility in the unified enclave areas. Majority of the respondents (76%) take treatment from village doctor and Kobiraj followed by upazilla health care centre (13%) and 5% from community clinic. Ninety two percent birth deliveries had been attended by relatives or midwives at home. Nearly 92% girls were married before age of 18 years. The study reveals that 88% respondents were suffering from dowry but there is no eve-teasing in the unified enclaves due to their strong family and social bondage. Insufficient irrigation facilities and quality agricultural inputs, lack of training and lack of marketing facilities of agricultural products is the major problems of their livelihoods. Insufficient support and lack of training in agriculture, livestock and fisheries, lack of healthcare centre, educational institution, poor road transportation facilities, and insufficient loan facilities of agriculture is the major problems of unified enclaves. To improve the condition of lives of people in unified enclaves, need to ensure quality agricultural inputs and irrigation facilities, agricultural product marketing facilities, training on modern farming and agricultural credits with lower interest rate.  Group based or community based fish, poultry or cattle farming might be beneficial for landless people. Low cost capital is needed to establish micro or small business enterprise. To improve the condition of lives of people in unified enclaves, different government agencies have taken various initiatives. But government programmes will not be enough to meet various needs of people of unified enclaves. Intervention from private sector would address various development needs there.