Dr. Atiur Rahman is addressing at dialogue in Dhaka on June 30. Photo: Collected
Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – Government and non-government sector need to work together for development of Char agriculture to achieve sustainable economic growth, experts said.
The observations were made at a national dialogue on development of living standard in Char areas of Bangladesh and possibility of investment in those areas held at the BIAM Foundation Auditorium in Dhaka on Saturday.
The dialogue was organized by national think tank UnnayanShamannay with support from international development organization Oxfam in Bangladesh.
Former Governor of Bangladesh Bank and Chairman of UnnayanShamannay Dr. Atiur Rahman chaired the dialogue.
Bangladesh has commendable achievements in terms of developing living standards of the Char people, yet there is much scope left for improvement and for that the private sector must come along with the different ministries and divisions of the government, Narayon Chandra Chando, minister of the ministry of fisheries and livestock, said while addressing at the dialogue as chief guest.
State Minister for Finance M. A. Mannan emphasized on the need to ensure that the farmers from Char areas get fair prices for what they produce. “To do so proper market linkages need to be established.”
In the remarks from Chairman, Dr. Atiur Rahman said that growth of agriculture sector have better effects on poverty reduction compared to growth in non-agricultural sectors.
“Hence, for development of the Char people, there is no alternative to agriculture sector development. And growth of Char agriculture will also contribute in attaining the national macro-economic objectives,” he added.
Chairman of ACI Group M. Anis Ud Dowla opined that crop insurance initiatives for the marginal farmers have not been successful yet.
Khondker Ibrahim Khaled said that along with allocating funds for Char areas in the National Budget, the authorities should also pay attention to effective use of those funds.
He also emphasized on the need of separate organizational structure to ensure socio-economic development of the Char areas.
Among others M B Akhter and S M Manzur Rashid from Oxfam spoke on the occasion.
BBN/SSR/AD
