Land, Inheritance, And Economic Mobility: An Example From Bangladesh

Abstract

Within Bangladesh, a country with little frontier and high population pressure, virtually every cultivable area is being utilized. The majority of people are dependent on agriculture for survival. Inheritance of land is thus a critical juncture in the division of resources. In this paper changes in landholding status are linked to inheritance, buying, selling, sharecropping and leasing of land. Coupled with population growth and intermittent crises (most commonly flood) the process of inheritance indicates a system of survival based on the equal division of proprietary rights. With finite space most landholdings thus become smaller over time. Yet fragmentation proceeds at a much slower rate than expected. These features of the land system are examined in light of prevailing interpretations of Bangladeshi economic mobility and class