The Agriculture Ministry has formed a four-member panel to probe the deaths of two farmers in Rajshahi, who allegedly ended their lives for not getting irrigation water for their land.
The committee has been asked to submit its report within a week, the ministry said in a notification.
Md Abu Jubayer Hossain Bablu, a joint secretary of the ministry, has been made the convenor of the committee while Abdul Jalil, commissioner and magistrate of Rajshahi district, Md Sazzad Hossain, executive engineer of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Natore, and Md Shamsher Ali, executive engineer, Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), Naogao are its other members.
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As per the notification, the committee was formed based on two reports published by two media outlets on March 24 and 27, respectively.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Md Sayedul Islam said strict administrative action will be taken if anyone’s negligence is found in supplying irrigation water to the two farmers in Rajshahi.
“Police are also investigating the matter separately and they will take action according to criminal law,” he added.
“We have inquired about the incident immediately after being informed. I had conversations with the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), Rajshahi deputy commissioner, upazila nirbahi officer, and other concerned and immediately formed the four-member probe panel to investigate the matter,” said Md Sayedul Islam.
Already the committee has begun their investigation visiting the spot.
Regarding the onion import the secretary said the government has no plan to suspend onion imports right now, to keep the price under control during the month of Ramadan, he said.
“We consider both the farmers’ and the consumers’ interest while giving approval for onion import. Farmers are getting good profit now. However, the government is closely monitoring the market,” he added.
On March 24, Rabi Marandi, 32, a Santal community member of Nimghatu village in Godagari upazila, and his cousin Abhinath, 30, consumed poison in front of Shakhawat Hossain, a deep tubewell operator of the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA).
They took the decision out of anger "as Shakhawat was not giving them a serial number for a long time to get irrigation water supplied to their fields in Iswarpur", according to their family.
Abhinath died around 9pm after reaching home on March 24, while Rabi died two days later at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH).
Brigadier General Shamim Yazdani, director of RMCH, confirmed both the brothers died from consuming poison.
