SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESILIENCE AND LIVELIHOOD VULNERABILITIES AMONG PLAIN-LAND ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN BANGLADESH

This study examines livelihood vulnerabilities, gender dynamics within households, and household food access among plain-land ethnic minority communities in northern Bangladesh. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study included 300 households selected through non-probability purposive and snowball sampling, together with 12 focus group discussions (FGDs), six case studies, and three key-informant interviews (KIIs), across 10 upazilas in five districts: Sirajganj, Pabna, Natore, Joypurhat, and Naogaon. The analysis focused on six communities—Santal, Munda, Oraon, Bedia, Bhumij, and Kurmi—using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, the Harvard Analytical Framework, and the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS). The findings indicate constraints across human, natural, physical, financial, and social capital. Land insecurity, dependence on seasonal wage labour, limited productive assets, and weak institutional linkages were described as barriers to livelihood resilience, while community networks, sharecropping, and livestock were reported as coping resources. Based on retrospective self-reported labour-hour data, the manuscript reports that women contribute more than 60% of labour in selected field operations and livestock management; the calculation and weighting procedure should be fully documented to enable independent verification. Community-specific estimates, including the reported figure of more than 80% for Oraon women, should be interpreted in light of the sampling design and the activities measured. The reported mean HDDS values range from 5.20 to 5.60 across communities, with an overall mean of 5.38 (SD = 0.84). These scores describe household dietary diversity and should not, by themselves, be interpreted as measures of nutrient adequacy or the proportion of dietary energy derived from particular food groups. The findings support consideration of improved land-tenure protection, culturally responsive agricultural extension, livestock support, gender-responsive financial services, and targeted social protection. Proposals for a Plain-Land Indigenous Development Board and a specialized land commission require further assessment of their legal basis, institutional responsibilities, and feasibility.