DHAKA, Oct 11, 2022 (BSS) - President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina in separate messages today greeted the recipients of the Bangabandhu
National Agriculture Award (Bangabandhu Jatiya Krishi Puroshkar), the highest
state recognition to the agriculture sector, for 1425 and 1426 Bangla years.
 
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally hand over the awards to a total of
44 individuals and organizations through a ceremony at 10am at Osamani Memorial
Auditorium tomorrow (Wednesday), according to official sources.
 
In his message, the President said: "I welcome the initiative of the Ministry
of Agriculture to award the 'Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award 1425 and
1426'. I congratulate those who have been awarded the Bangabandhu National
Agriculture Awards in recognition of their significant contributions to
various fields of agriculture."
 
The head of the state hoped that this award will further encourage all
individuals and organizations related to agriculture and accelerate the
ongoing progress of agriculture.
 
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced the Bangabandhu Jatiya Krishi
Puroshkar in 1973 in order to take forward the agri-based economy of the
newly independent country.
 
Apart from the distribution of agricultural products among the farmers,
Bangabandhu gave importance to agricultural research, the Premier said,
adding that for this reason, he took the initiative to reorganize higher
educational institutes and research institutes for agriculture and arranged
to start the Ganga-Kapotaksha Irrigation Project.
 
Bangabandhu called for a 'Green Revolution' or 'Agricultural Revolution', she
said, adding that therefore, the Father of the Nation established the
'Bangabandhu Puroshkar Tohobil' in 1973 to encourage agricultural development
and introduced the 'Bangabandhu Award' at the national level.
 
The Awami League led-government always gives special importance to the
agricultural sector in its determination to build the Sonar Bangladesh as
dreamt by Bangabandhu, she added.
 
"We are building 100 economic zones across the country. It will create self-
sufficiency in the supply of raw materials for agro-based industries and
create massive employment," she hoped.
 
Lauding the role of the country's agriculture amid COVID-19, she said despite
the coronavirus pandemic, agriculture is continuously providing food to a
large population of the country and is making an important contribution to
keeping the wheels of the economy active.
 
Both the President and the Premier wished the programme of 'Bangabandhu
National Agriculture Award 1425 and 1426' a success.