Biopolitics as a Weapon of Land-Grabbing

Abstract The involvement of state actors, private enterprises, and transnational organisations in the land-grabbing process has complicated the ‘definition of land-grab’. To keep that in mind, the study aims to understand the micro-politics of land-grabbing used by a private company, Gazi Rubber Plantation Company, to grab the lands of three Indigenous communities in Bangladesh. To understand the micro-politics of land-grabbing, the study uses the theoretical concept of ‘biopolitics’ devised by Michel Foucault. Using the theoretical concept of ‘biopolitics’, the study draws on how political power – exercised by the private company – diminishes the customary land rights of three Indigenous communities. To substantiate the theoretical framework, the study employs an exploratory qualitative case study approach, using Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and Informal Discussions as data collection methods. The study findings reveal that the private company destroyed the customary land tenure systems of three Indigenous communities by abusing state power.