Agriculture Minister Dr. Abdur Razzaque stated that Bangladesh is an agriculture-dependent country. If the farmers survive, the country will survive.
However, it is not possible to save the country by leaving the land fallow. Therefore, the necessary support for farmers, such as fertilizers, water, and seeds, will be provided on time because there is no alternative. He also mentioned that there is no food shortage in the country.
The Minister made these remarks on Friday (May 17) in the afternoon, as the chief guest at a workshop organized at the Rajshahi Circuit House conference room.
Abdur Razzaque said that all government and non-government officials involved in agricultural work must work together. Farmers need to be encouraged to increase their crop production. Soil tests should be conducted in each area to advise farmers on which crops would yield the most. Attention must be paid to ensure that farmers are not harmed in any way.
He further stated that there is no food shortage in Bangladesh. The government plans to establish cold storage facilities in the eight divisions of the country to store surplus food after meeting the food needs of the people.
The Agriculture Minister mentioned that the World Bank is assisting us in encouraging farmers to increase agricultural production. This opportunity must be utilized properly. The agricultural sector contributes 12% to the GDP. This needs to be increased further. He also expressed the expectation that 100,000 metric tons of surplus rice would be produced from Rajshahi in the future.
He added that the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, wanted to bring smiles to the faces of the people and build a hunger-free country. His capable daughter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is moving the country forward with that goal in mind. The country, once referred to by Henry Kissinger as a ‘bottomless basket,’ has now become a role model in the world.
The workshop was presided over by Rajshahi’s Additional Divisional Commissioner Imtiaz Hossain, and World Bank Program Manager Michael John Webster and Managing Director (MD) of Coca-Cola Bangladesh Limited, M S Zu-An Naher Chowdhury, were present.
Additionally, officials and employees from various government and non-government departments, NGO representatives, and farmers attended the event.
