Move against tobacco farming
Industries minister urges all
Industries Minister Dilip Barua yesterday said a social movement is required to save farmers from the curse of tobacco cultivation that harms both health and economy.
A number of farmers have lost everything by cultivating tobacco, and a lot of arable land has been destroyed, he said.
"We need to work together to create mass awareness against tobacco farming."
Barua said this while inaugurating a two-day international workshop at the Jatiya Press Club in the city yesterday.
A policy and action research organisation, Ubinig, will host the workshop on impact of tobacco cultivation and policy advocacy for shifting to food and other crops.
Former adviser to a caretaker government, Dr Akbar Ali Khan, said individuals may find themselves benefited by farming tobacco, but the social loss of the cultivation is huge.
So the society and the government have a right to ask those individuals not to farm tobacco, which is harming the country a great deal, he said.
Prof Quazi Quamruzzaman, chairman of Dhaka Community Hospital, presided over the inaugural session.
The workshop, to be attended by delegates from Kenya, Malawi, Vietnam, and India, will be held at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban, Dhaka University today and tomorrow.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments