Planned villages to ensure more land for food production: PM

15 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Unb, Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government will redesign every village in a planned manner in order to dedicate greater amount of agricultural land to increased food production. Addressing the launching of a three-month tree plantation programme of the Bangladesh Krishak League at Ganobhaban, she said all installations in a village including schools and hospitals have to be established according to a pattern that ensures the best use of agriculture land. Hasina urged the people not to waste a single inch of agricultural land as she stressed that increasing food production is a must to ensure adequate food for the large population of the country. She said no piece of land should be left uncultivated as Bangladesh's landmass is limited, but its population has already taken on massive proportions. She said the government will revive the project “one home, one farm” project in a bid to increase food production of the country. “If necessary, the government will give financial assistance to the home owners to create farms inside their home areas,” she said. Hasina suggested that there will be cooperatives of the home farmers and the cooperatives will collect the agriculture produce from the homes and market them. In this regard, she laid emphasis building small and medium industries across the country and going for processed agriculture products including organic foods. She said organic foods of Bangladesh enjoy high demand in the international markets. Announcing stern action against those felling trees and damaging the environment, the PM mentioned her government's steps to stop recent tree felling in the coastal areas. “I had directed the authorities concerned to arrest the persons even if they are from my party” she said. She requested everyone to plant three saplings of medicinal, timber and fruit trees to create a balanced environment in the country. She said realising the indispensability of farmers and agriculture, Bangladesh Awami League had initiated the “Save Farmers, Save Country” movement. Describing the farmers as the principal force behind food production in the country, she said her government has attached top priority to farmers' welfare and the agriculture sector's development. She also mentioned her government's strong commitment to achieving universal food security for every citizen of the land, as in her previous 1996-2001 tenure. “This is our policy and priority to give our best efforts to making a food-sufficient Bangladesh ,” she said. The Prime Minister lamented that the last BNP-Jamaat government had turned Bangladesh into a food-deficient country as they believe in begging rather than becoming self-reliant. Hasina said if that BNP-Jamaat government would have continued the development works initiated by her previous government, then at present people would not be suffering as much. She also blamed the last caretaker government for bringing the country's development to a stalemate through “excessive activities.” With Bangladesh Krishak League President Dr Mirza Jalil in the chair, the function was also addressed by Minister for Food and Disaster Management Dr Abdur Razzaque and Awami League Organising Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim. The Prime Minister later planted three saplings on the Ganobhaban premises.