Strengthen research works on agriculture: PM (VIDEO)
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Gazipur: Terming agriculture the driving force of the country’s economy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday asked the agriculture scientists for strengthening their research works to ensure food security and assured them of providing them all sorts of cooperation they need.
The Prime Minister came up with the directive while addressing the inaugural function of the founding anniversary programme of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agriculture University (BSMRAU).
Hasina said the Awami League government is agriculture and farmer-friendly one as it has taken all necessary measures to continue uninterrupted research activities, particularly on agriculture.
She mentioned that her government in its first term during 1996-2001 had allocated Tk 12 crore for research works and established Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agriculture University in 1998 to promote education and research on agriculture.
Following her government’s pragmatic measures at that time, she said, Bangladesh has become a food-surplus country meeting the 40 lakh metric tons of food shortage.
She regretted that the BNP-Jamaat alliance could not continue the initiative of her government to advance the agriculture sector as they killed 18 farmers for demanding fertilizer.
But returning to power in 2009, Hasina said, her government took appropriate steps to boost production through providing assistance to farmers in various forms.
‘As a result, the agriculture sector witnessed massive development and Bangladesh again became self-reliant on food increasing production of paddy to 3.83 crore 43metric tons,’ she said.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is now not only a food-surplus country, but also a rice-exporting nation and is in a position that it can provide food for the world community.
Laying emphasis on food processing and marketing, she said Bangladesh could earn foreign currency through exporting food products and establishing small and medium industries.
To provide food for over 16 crore people of the country facing various challenges on agriculture is not so easy and added that attention must be given to modern technology to meet the growing demand of foods for the increasing population, Hasina said.
That is why, she said, the country’s scientists will have to focus on innovating developed technology for food processing and marketing of diversified products like vegetables, fruits and fish.
The Prime Minister urged the scientists to work for developing agriculture as a profit-oriented, sustainable and environment-friendly system through innovating sustainable agricultural technology.
The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to put forward a specific proposal for land of the Forest Department to conduct research on Agro-Forest resources protecting bio-diversity of Swalban.
Chaired by Vice Chancellor of the university Prof Dr M Mahbubur Rahman, the function was addressed, among others, by Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haq, Krishibid Abdul Mannan, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, MP and Zahid Ahsan Russel, MP.