The number of rural landless households in the country increased by 2.66 percentage points in 12 years, according to the latest survey by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

Economists say it needs to be looked into whether the increase was due to widening income disparity.

Landless households in the rural areas increased most in Dhaka and Chittagong divisions. The number of such households is the highest in Dhaka Division followed by Sylhet, says the preliminary report of BBS agriculture census 2008 finalised last week.

The previous census was conducted in 1996.

According to the preliminary report, there are 28.67 million households in the country, of which 4.48 million or 15.62 percent are absolute landless.

Of the absolute landless households, 1.22 million are urban and 3.26 million rural.

Rural landless households are 12.84 percent of the total households. In 1996, the figure was 10.18 percent of the total households -- 17.83 million.

Over the last 12 years, increase of rural landless households in Dhaka division was 5.5 percentage point and in Chittagong 3.6 pecentage point. But in Barisal and Sylhet divisions, landless households decreased by 0.66 percentage point and 0.04 percentage point.

The number of landless households in Dhaka is 14.73 percent of the total households, in Sylhet it is 14.52 percent, in Rajshahi 13.99 percent and in Chittagong 11.04 percent.

"A sharp increase (of landless households) in Dhaka and Chittagong divisions could be partly attributed to the increasing urbanisation around metropolitan areas, and partly to the possible migration of landless people from other divisions, " the BBS report said.

Meanwhile, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) head of research wing Uttam Kumar Deb said a common cause of increase in the number of landless households is splitting of land. It is not a cause for serious concern, rather if they continue to lose income generating assets that is a matter of serious concern. Happening that means poverty has increased. The government should investigate why landless households increased, and take action accordingly, he added.

Uttam mentioned that the government has taken an initiative to distribute khas land among the landless. But the problem is khas lands are now under the occupation of somebody or the other. How much the government succeeds in reclaiming those is to be seen, he said.

Another finding of the BBS census 2008 is that of the total households, 8.85 million or 34.90 percent are agricultural households. In 1996, the figure was 6.40 million or 35.90 percent.

Uttam said agricultural households decreased by one percentage point in 12 years. Besides agriculture, non-farm activities have increased in the villages, causing the decrease.

The BBS said since the last population census in 2001, the number of dwelling houses increased by 15.4 percent over a period of seven years. In 2001, the figure was 28.6 million and in 2008 it was 24.85 million.

Growth rate of households is the highest (18.5%) in Dhaka Division closely followed by Rajshahi (17.0%) with the lowest in Barisal (7.1 %).

- The Daily Star