BNP has no right to talk about agriculture: Hasan

1354

CHATTOGRAM, May 24, 2019 (BSS) – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said BNP has no right to talk about the agriculture as 18 peasants were shot dead during their tenure.

“Fire was opened at the movement and 18 peasants were shot dead during the tenure of BNP government as farmers’ waged movement for fertilizer. So, the party has no right to talk about the agriculture,” he told an iftar and doa mahfil at a community center at Rangunia upazila sadar.

Hasan, also Awami League Publicity and Publications Secretary, said when BNP was in power, the country had food deficit but now it has attained autarky in food under the leadership of Awami League government.

He said they have no right to talk about agriculture and farmers those who could not provide fertilizer to the farmers and killed them.

The minister said the country had turned into a food surplus nation from food deficit after the formation of government by AL in 1996.

But when BNP came in power in 2001, the country again went backward and became a country of food deficit, he added.

Hasan said at that period, the then finance minister of BNP said the country saw food deficit as the people were taking food three times a day and BNP suggested people for taking potato instead of rice.

Since the AL led grand alliance came to power in 2008, the country has achieved food surplus again because of time-befitting steps including providing of subsidy to fertilizer and seeds.

The minister said though the price of paddy is low due to excessive production, the government is procuring paddy directly from farmers at Taka 26 per kg and as a result, price of paddy has started getting stable in the marker.

Chaired by Rangunia Upazila AL President and Upazila Chairman Khalilur Rahman Chowdhury, the function was addressed by Chattogram District North unit of AL Cultural Secretary Swajan Kumar Talukder, Religious Affairs Secretary and Rangunia Municipality Mayor Shahjahan Shikder, Agriculture Affairs Secretary Muhammad Ali Shah and acting General Secretary of Upazila AL Engineer Samsul Alam Talukder, among others.