Coalition govt did nothing for farmers, says Motia

The government steps went against the interest of farmers, she said while s addressing the triennial council of Mymensingh unit of Bangladesh Krishak League (BKL), peasant front of AL. The council was held in the town.

The farmers are not getting fair prices of their products but those of inputs are rising.

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Now, diesel, the main input for irrigation, is being sold at Tk 26 per litre, which was Tk 15 during AL rule, she said. Prices of fertiliser have also increased, she alleged.

The government has minimised the subsidy on agriculture, thereby throttling its development.

The former agriculture minister said the country attained food autarky during the rule of AL government because of appropriate policies.

Criticising the extra-judicial killing by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Motia said, life and property of people are not safe now because ruling party men are protecting criminals on the one hand and various elite forces are being used against opposition parties on the other hand, Motia added.

They are killing AL leaders and workers to liquidate the party. She demanded trial of all killings by elite forces.

Presided over by Md Mozaffar Ali Khan, BKL district convenor, the council was also addressed by BKL and AL central leaders Dr Abdur Razzaq MP, Abdul Mannan, Md Motahar Hossain Mollah, Samir Chandra and Shafiqur Rahman, and local leaders including Principal Motiur Rahman, Abdul Motin Sarker MP, Advocate Khandaker Shamsul Haque Reza, Advocate Shah Md Ashraful Haque, and Eshaq Ali Sarker. Dr Mirza Jalil, president of BKL central body, inaugurated the council.

Motia urged all to come forward to launch a movement to 'free the country from the clutch of evil forces'.