KHANI Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Food Security Network, has called for ensuring minimum price support for crops produced by farmers and the formation of a price commission.

They demanded the determination of minimum support prices for crops, the formation of a price commission, the direct procurement of crops such as paddy and rice directly from farmers, and the establishment of community-based storage and cold storage facilities in agricultural zones to ensure farmers’ rights.

This demand was raised on Wednesday at a press conference organized at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, where the long-standing issue of price deprivation faced by marginal farmers and the recent tragic suicide of Meherpur onion farmer Saiful Sheikh was presented based on a field-level fact-finding mission.

On 26 March, unable to bear the loss from onion farming and the pressure of unpaid loans, Saiful Sheikh, an onion farmer from Mujibnagar in Meherpur, consumed poison on his own land and died on 28 March while undergoing treatment.

In light of this incident, on 16 April, a KHANI Bangladesh fact-finding team comprising representatives from member organizations, NGOs, agricultural researchers, writers, and journalists visited the affected family, local farmers, and the local administration to collect field-level information.

This press conference presented the findings from the visit, direct observations, and interviews with the victim’s family, administration, and relevant government departments, shedding light on the harsh realities faced by marginal farmers.

Speakers at the conference identified long-standing issues behind the farmers not receiving fair prices for their produce. These include middlemen exploitation, syndicates, profiteering intermediaries, lack of adequate storage facilities, weak marketing systems, lack of attention from policymakers, and government indifference. The discussion also highlighted how farmers are regularly deceived due to the lack of government procurement of crops other than paddy and rice and the lack of transparency in the existing food grain procurement process.

Rozyefa Khatun, daughter of the deceased farmer Saiful Sheikh, and his mother Romesa Begum were present at the press conference.

Among others KHANI’s fact-finding team members, KHANI Vice President Rezaul Karim Siddique, Associate Professor of Accounting and Statistics at Dhaka University Dr. Mosahida Sultana, Mushfiq Sabbir of INCIDIN Bangladesh, Amit Ranjan Dey, Deputy Manager of ActionAid Bangladesh, Saiful Masum, Staff Reporter of Ajker Patrika, and Nurul Alam Masud, Executive Director of Participatory Research and Action Network – PRAAN were present.

The press conference was presided over by KHANI President and agricultural scientist Dr. M. Zainul Abedin.

Rozyefa Khatun, daughter of onion farmer Saiful Sheikh, spoke about the deep frustration and mental distress her father suffered due to financial losses from farming, which led to his suicide. She shared the extreme hardship her family is facing since the incident.

She said, “My father took loans from different lending agencies and fertilizer shops to grow onions. He spent Tk 150,000 taka to farm two bighas of land, but earned only Tk 58,000 from selling the crop. After paying for labor, how much money was left? He sold each maund of onions at Tk 600, but now the market price is Tk 2,000. If farmers like my father are forced to take their lives because of losses, then who will feed the people?”

She added, “I urge the government to ensure the rights of both laborers and farmers. No one else should lose their father like I did.”

KHANI President and agricultural scientist Dr. Zainul Abedin said, “We need reforms that benefit both producers and consumers. This requires a joint effort. But the government must lead the way. We may be talking about one case today, but how many more incidents are there that we don’t even hear about?”