Speakers at a regional conference called upon the government to ensure fair prices of agri-produce, provide subsidy on agri-produces, and enact tougher laws against smoking in public places.
The speakers made the call while addressing a daylong divisional conference which was held at the conference room of Action in Development (AID) on Wednesday.
The speakers said the government could ensure fair prices of farmers’ products through streamlining the existing procurement process of food grains.
Sometimes farmers are compelled to cultivate tobacco on their land when they are deprived of fair prices of their main crops like paddy, jute, sugarcane, onion and wheat.
Construction of new roads in remote areas, renovation of the existing roads and availability of transport could help farmers to get fair prices of their agricultural produces, they added.
If authority develops proper marketing system and dismantles middlemen’s nexus in the government procurement system, the farmers will not be deprived off fair prices.
They also alleged that a number of local and multinational cigarette manufacturing companies had been instigating the farmers for tobacco farming by providing some cash and some kinds of assistance to the farmers.
To earn more profits, many farmers have already engaged themselves into tobacco cultivation, the speakers observed.
AID and Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance had jointly organised the programme.
A total of 80 people, including teachers and students from 17 colleges and universities, representatives from non-government organisations, civil society members and journalists from Jhenaidah, Jessore, Narail, Magura, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Kushtia, Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat took part in the programme.
Presided over by Chairperson and Chief Executive of the AID Tarikul Islam Palash, chairman of the department of politics and public administration of Islamic University Professor Selim attended the discussion as chief guest.
Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance Coordinator and Executive Director of WBB Trust Saifuddin Ahmed attended the programme as special guests.
Lecturer of law department of Islamic University Anisur Rahman, Enayaet Hossain, executive director of voluntary organisation SCOPE, Government KC College Assistant Professor Yunus Ali, BL University College Assistant Professor Saikh Shahinur Rahman also spoke.
Monday, March 24, 2025
