BNP-Jamaat’ policy was to keep Bangladesh poor: HPM Sheikh Hasina

"They (BNP-Jamaat) never wanted to make Bangladesh self-reliant in food ... their policy is to keep the people of Bangladesh as beggars for their entire life," she told the Diploma Agriculturists' Grand Conference-2017 at Krishibid Institution auditorium this morning.

Sheikh Hasina added that the past regime actually took a policy of to do trade and business and earn two pice by importing rice, never thinking that Bangladesh should stand on its own feet.

"They (BNP-Jamaat regime) never thought this," the premier said.

Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhuary and Awami League Organizing Secretary agriculturist AFM Bahauddin Nasim, MP, were present as special guest the function.

Diploma Krishibid Institution organized the conference with its president ATM Abul Kashem in the chair while secretary general of the forum Abdur Rashed Khan spoke at the function.

Diploma Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh organized the conference with its president ATM Abul Kashem in the chair.

Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated the conference by hoisting national flag and releasing pigeons.

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat government used to run the country as "the leader of beggars " keeping the people "remain poor, thin and weak, the party leaders would be benefitted that much" so they could seek and bring foreign aid and later eat its lion share". The prime minister said Bangladesh witnessed setback in all sectors during the rule of the BNP-Jamaat government.

"Bangladesh went backward in every sector including food and electricity production, literacy for no justified reason . . . just they wanted that the people will remain poor and starved to be shown abroad to get alms," she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said her party doesn't want to be the leader of beggars like the BNP.

"We run the state as peoples servants and we want to ensure welfare of the people and this is the difference between the Awami League and BNP," she said

The prime minister said when the BNP was in power, their leader, finance minister and parliament members opined that becoming self-reliant in food is not good, because foreign aid won't be available for it.

Elaborating her government's steps to ensure food security in the country by boosting food production, the prime minister said her government has undertaken a master plan for increasing agri-production and so far given Tk 41,000 crore as subsidy in the sector .

"We've distributed agriculture assistance cards among 2.08 crore farmers so that they can get agri inputs at fair price, while over one crore farmers were given scope for opening bank account at Tk only 10," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the World Bank favoured not to give subsidy on agriculture when the government took a decision in this regard. "We have at that time said we don't need aid and we would provide subsidy from our own money and we are continuing this," she said.

The prime minister said when her government took office in 1996, the state of the BADC was on the verge of ruination. "We at that time have taken measures for strengthening the BADC and now the state-run organisation is very effective for the farmers," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the government has introduced modern technology based e agriculture or digital agriculture system to ensure food security.

She mentioned that her government has put emphasis on research activities to innovate seeds of various crops befitting to adverse and changing climatic condition and said a total of 145 types of different new varieties of crops have so far been invented.
It was the Aawami League government which first allocated Tk 12 crore for research in agri sector, she said, adding the landmark genome sequence of jute was decoded due to patronization in research activities.

She said, a project has been undertaken to mechanise the cultivation system of the country through its modernisation to increase production, reduce production cost as well as to meet demand of the agri- workers and Tk 163. 41 crore is s being spent in this project.

"As a result of these steps, the food production has now increased to four crore metric tons and Bangladesh is exporting foodgrains after meeting its domestic demand," she said.

The prime minister said the subsequent governments after 1975 did not take any steps for the development of agriculture and farmers, rather they stalled the agricultural production undermining the farmers. "As a result, Bangladesh was turned into a food deficit country at that time," she said.

Sheikh Hasina lamented that 18 farmers were killed by police during the rule of BNP in 1995 when they demanded fertilizers and 24 peasants were shot dead by the law enforcers when they staged movement for electricity.

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol