A view of Karail slum in Dhaka.
About four crore people still remain under poverty line in the country and they do not get two meals a day marring the government’s development publicity, said economists, agriculturists and farmer leaders on Tuesday.
They urged the government to enhance allocation for agricultural sector in the upcoming national budget to protect rights of the millions of marginalised farmers as they were feeding the countrymen.
They made the remarks while speaking at national seminar on ‘sustainable agriculture and rights to food’ organised by Right to Food Bangladesh Secretariat at CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka.
Former food minister and also ruling Awami League presidium member Muhammad Abdur Razzak who spoke at the seminar as the chief guest said although the country’s food productions increased, ensuring nutrition and safe food for the countrymen still remained a big challenge.
‘Four crore people are still under poverty line,’ he said, adding that employment generation at manufacturing sector was necessary to lift those poor people above the poverty line.
Senior economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad who presided over the seminar said though social development had been taking place but the disparity of income had been widening in society. ‘The country’s 5.75 crore people are suffering from malnutrition. The roadmap of development will not be strengthened by keeping the large number of people malnourish,’ he said.
He called for taking the country’s backward population ahead to achieve the sustainable development goals.
Former director general of Department of Agricultural Extension Hamidur Rahman said the food production increased but hidden hunger still prevailed in the country.
‘About 40 per cent women and children are suffering from malnutrition,’ he said.
Hunger Free World country director Ataur Rahman Mitaan said that one in every four persons was in the lack of foods and that put the country’s development under question.
The subsidies in agriculture did not reach the real farmers, he alleged, adding that the middlemen should be cut off to remove that crisis from agriculture sector.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Agricultural University’s former vice-chancellor Mahabubur Rahman said 24 per cent people were hardcore poor and the poverty must be reduced to zero level.
Right to Food Bangladesh general secretary Mohasin Ali, who presented keynote paper at the seminar, said Bangladesh has imported total 84 lakh tonnes of food grains this year and of them 36 lakh tonnes is rice. Food security is in danger due to import dependence, he said.
He presented four point recommendations to the government, namely formation of price commissions for fixing fair rate for agricultural produce, enhancing agricultural budgets with priority, giving incentives to farmers for using mechanised equipment and formulation of necessary laws and policies to protect agricultural lands.
Bangladesh Krisak Federation general secretary Jayed Iqbal, Bangladeshi Adibashi Samity general secretary Amoli Kisku, and Bhumihin Samity general Secretary Subal Das also spoke at the seminar.
- Courtesy: New Age /May 23. 2018
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