The government has taken special initiatives to transport farm workers from the northern region to different southern and eastern regions of the country for harvesting Boro paddy.
The Health Department has conducted medical tests on every farm worker to check if they are Covid-19 negative.
It has also trained the farmers on maintaining various health practices during the paddy harvest amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The farm labourers are being provided with masks, sanitizers, medicines and necessary food before their departure.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has arranged transport for the farmers with support from the local police. Special buses will ferry them to their destinations.
After their arrival in their respective areas, the local police, district and health administrations and DAE will make other arrangements for their treatment, if needed, and ensure their safe stay through strictly ensuring physical distance.
The Primary Education Ministry has issued a circular directing that primary school premises be opened as accommodation for the farm labourers.
Usually thousands of farm workers from the northern districts, particularly Rangpur, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat, move to the southern and eastern districts every year for harvesting Boro paddy. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak this year they were unable to travel, as transport facilities were suspended across the country.
Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzak said: “We have ensured all kinds of travelling facilities for the farm labourers. The district administration and health service providers will perform medical examinations on the workers before sending them to other areas of the country.”
“The farm labourers will get transport and uninterrupted movement. The prime minister has issued directives to the local administrations in this regard,” he added.
The minister was speaking during a visit to a harvesting site in Netrokona on Tuesday.
Muhammad Ali, Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur agricultural region, said: “We have been sending farm labourers to different regions in accordance with the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzak.”
“The district, upazila, police and health administrations are extending assistance in educating the farm labourers about the safety measures to be taken amid the Covid-19 outbreak before sending them under official management to the different regions,” he said.
More than 1,000 farmers have already been sent over the last few days and till yesterday to the haor areas in the Sylhet region, Comilla region, Chalan Beel area, and other regions to assist the local farmers there to complete the harvest of their ripe Boro rice in good time.