President calls for national body to safeguard farmers’ interests

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday urged farmers to form a national-level central organisation to protect their interests and ensure their overall development, regardless of political affiliation or differences in views.
He made the call when an eight-member delegation of the Bangladesh Farmers Association, led by its president Md Siddiqur Rahman Kul Moyez, paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban on Sunday. During the meeting, the farmers’ delegation placed various demands concerning the development and welfare of farmers.
The President assured the farmers of government support and urged them to communicate with the authorities at the highest level and turn their demands into a broader movement.
He described farmers as key contributors to the country’s development and said an initiative would be taken to introduce a President’s Agriculture Award to recognise farmers for innovations and outstanding contributions to the agriculture sector.
The President said increased crop production had been made possible through farmers’ hard work, the development of high-yielding crop varieties and the adoption of modern agricultural technologies.
Mirza Fakhrul said the government had introduced a scheme aimed at ensuring fair prices for agricultural products and promoting farmers’ welfare, with Tk3,000 crore already allocated for the programme.
The government has also waived agricultural loans, including interest, of up to Tk10,000 for farmers, he said, adding that steps would be taken to reduce interest rates on loans taken from non-government organisations.
The President also urged farmers to explore export opportunities for agricultural and processed products, saying there was significant overseas demand for Bangladeshi fruits and other farm produce. He called for establishing agro-processing industries and modern cold-storage facilities and promoting the use of solar technology in agriculture.
The delegation invited the President to attend a reception in Ishwardi for farmers aged over 70 in recognition of their contribution to agriculture as chief guest. The President’s press secretary, Md Sarwar, and other secretaries were present at the meeting.