Farmers rally in Kalapara, submit memorandum with a set of demands

Farmers rally in Kalapara, submit memorandum with a set of demands

Patuakhali: A human chain and farmers rally was organized by the Upazila Krishak Samity in Kalapara, Patuakhali on Wednesday at around 11 am at Monoharipatri on Surendramohan Chowdhury Road in the city. Later, a memorandum was submitted to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer with a set of demands.

These demands include profitable price of paddy, cancellation of lottery system for buying paddy, direct purchase of paddy from farmers, compensation for losses of farmers affected by heavy rains and Kalbaishakhi storm, cancellation of lease of government canals and re-excavation of canals.

The meeting was chaired by GM Mahbubur Rahman, President of Krishak Samity Kalapara Upazila Branch, and among others, Comrade Nasir Talukder, General Secretary of Communist Party of Bangladesh Kalapara Upazila Branch, Retired Lecturer Rafiqul Islam, Convener of Bangladesh Khet Mazur Samity Kalapara Upazila Branch, Publicity and Publication Secretary of Bangladesh Krishak Samity Kalapara Upazila Branch Naynabhiram Gain (Nayan), Member Abul Kalam and others spoke.

At this time, the speakers said that every year farmers are getting into debt while cultivating. They are not getting profitable prices for paddy, they are not getting timely fertilizers and pesticides for cultivation, real farmers are not covered by agricultural incentives, canal sluices are in the hands of syndicates, there is no interest-free loan for farmers, when it comes to selling paddy, farmers are being harmed in various ways including syndicates of brokers, taking more than the measurement. If the future government and local administration do not come forward to solve all these problems of farmers, farmers will turn their backs on agriculture. The agricultural economy will be in ruins, Bangladesh will be affected. As a result, the speakers called on the government to look kindly on the farmers.

After the rally, a protest procession circled the main roads of the municipality. Later, a memorandum was submitted to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer. - Gofran Palash