Only four staff serve 12,000 livestock farmers in Natore’s Bagatipara

The Bagatipara Upazila Livestock Department in Natore is struggling to provide services to farmers amid a prolonged manpower shortage, with only four employees performing regular duties against 11 approved posts.
Although six employees are currently listed against the approved posts, two are on deputation in Rajshahi and Dhaka, leaving the department understaffed for nearly five years. The upazila has around 12,000 livestock and poultry farmers across five unions and one municipality, creating growing demand for animal treatment, vaccination, disease prevention, farm management and advisory services.
Department sources said Asaduzzaman, a dresser, has been on deputation in Rajshahi for about six months, while a veterinary field assistant has been working on deputation in Dhaka for nearly a year.
The shortage has hampered government vaccination programmes, disease prevention campaigns, farm visits, training sessions and other extension activities. Responding quickly to disease outbreaks has also become difficult with the limited workforce.
Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Md Rokonuzzaman said the prolonged vacancy in the post of Deputy Assistant Livestock Officer (Extension) had particularly affected field-level activities.
Although an employee was appointed to the post, he has been on deputation in Dhaka for almost a year, making it difficult to conduct extension activities and implement government vaccination programmes on schedule, he said.
“Sometimes, vaccination work has to be carried out through volunteers. However, the lack of trained government personnel makes it difficult to ensure the desired quality of services,” Rokonuzzaman said.
He said an average of 70 to 80 farmers and livestock keepers visit the department daily for treatment and advice, making it difficult to provide prompt and quality services to everyone. However, artificial insemination services are continuing normally as the department has adequate manpower in that sector, he added.
Rokonuzzaman said the department was trying its best to maintain services despite having less than half of its approved workforce available for regular duties. The manpower shortage had been reported in writing to the director general, and he hoped the vacant posts would be filled soon.
Anwar Mia, a goat farmer from Sonapatil Mahalla, said he was not receiving the level of service he expected from the department. He said more effective services would encourage farmers to expand their livestock farms.
Anisur Rahman, a cattle farmer from Muradpur, also called on the government to address the manpower shortage so farmers could receive necessary services on time. Rokonuzzaman said he wanted to develop the livestock sector in Bagatipara, with the goal of turning households into model farms and making livestock farming a source of economic progress for families.