'Only agri uplift, industry can remove monga'

A partial view of the workshop on Monga Situation and Steps organised by Gaibandha district administration and Gano Unnyan Kendra, an NGO, held on Saturday. PHOTO: STAR

District officials, Union Parishad leaders, NGO representatives and the elite attended the workshop, held at the DC's conference room.

Earlier, three such workshops were held Gaibandha Sadar, Shaghata and Fulchari upazilas to create awareness among officials, NGO workers, UP representatives and monga-stricken people.

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Presided over by Deputy Commissioner Tapan Chandra Majumder, the workshop was addressed by, among others, Agriculture Extension Department (DAE) Deputy Director Abdur Rouf, Civil Surgeon Dr Abdul Quddus, District Livestock Officer SM Shawkat Hossain Sarker, Oxfam official Farid Hossain Ahmed and Gano Unnayan Kendro Chief Executive Abdus Salam.

The speakers said monga situation is created due to unemployment and partial food crisis in October and November. Natural calamities like drought, flood and river erosion aggravate the situation. Providing relief will not solve the problem.

Only industrialisation, development of agriculture and soft term micro-credit will help improve the situation.

They also emphasised listing the poor, jointly by the government, NGOs and UP leaders.

The DC urged NGOs, officials and local UP leaders to take up pragmatic programmes to stop recurrence of monga and assured all out cooperation in this regard.

Abdur Rouf said introducing early varieties of paddy like BR-33 and Bri-28 in char lends will be helpful because people will get work during October and November.

Other speakers said the government should have a political commitment to overcome the recurring situation.

The workshop was arranged jointly by the district administration and Gano Unnayan Kendra, an NGO with assistance from Oxfam, Bangladesh.