ASA University Review, Vol. 8 No. 2, July–December, 2014 Bangladesh Village: A Study of Peasant Power and Politics Mihir Kumar Roy * Salah Uddin Ibne Syed ** Abstract Bangladesh is a land of thousands of peasant farm families. The country is predominantly an agrarian society. A major portion of its population depends on agriculture, known as peasants. Peasant society owns a traditional power structure and some specific social organization that influence the production system and livelihood of that class of people. Faction grouping and political change also influence farm household activities. This study was undertaken to focus on the peasant faction grouping and power structure at the village Heshakhal under Nangolkot Upazila of Comilla district. The major focus of the study was to comprehend the change occurring in social organizations within the peasant society, on faction grouping and also the changing power structure of the village.The study reveals how in last forty years a major change occurred in the traditional power structure of the village. In the last century, the villages were divided into three Samaj. Linkage with formal administrative unit was flexible. Salish system was the major feature of conflict resolution, especially in managing social conflict. At present the village is separated into several Samajs. The role of Samaj is decreasing day by day. Influence and role of national level political parties are also playing a strong role in leadership in the village, which was not seen thirty years ago.A major change was also seen in the social organization of the village. In the village, peasant families that once depended on agriculture are how trying to engage their manpower in non-farm activities. Marriage system has changed, due to intermarriage system among the Swandupi and deshi community. Keywords: Peasants, Power Structure, Politics,Agrarian Society ,Factionalism. Introduction Statement of the Issue Bangladesh is predominantly an agrarian society. A major portion of its people’s livelihood depends on agriculture. The households who are living under an agrarian setting are commonly known as krishak which in anthropology and development studies, are called as peasants. The term ‘peasant’ was originated by the development academicians, meaning a transitional pre- industrial class mostly depending on agriculture at the subsistence level. According to the academic point of view ,the peasantry has constituted the most numerous social group in all organized states, from ancient to modern times,that rests on traditional agriculture (Encyclopedia of Social Science, 1977).On economic criterion, peasant means a system of small producers, with a simple technology and equipment, often relying primarily for their subsistence on what they * Professor & Dean, Faculty of Business Administration, City University,Dhaka. ** Deputy Director ,Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development,Comilla.