Staff Reporter/

In order to rehabilitate the flood-affected farmers, the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal-Basad Sylhet district branch has distributed fertilizers and seeds in Khadimpara Union of Sadar Upazila. Yesterday Friday (October 14) fertilizer and seeds were distributed at 5 pm.

During this time, President of Sadar Upazila of Samajtantrik Farm Workers and Farmers Front, Rumon Biswas, spoke at the rally under the chairmanship of – BASAD district coordinator Abu Zafar, BASAD district member Pranab Jyoti Pal, Sramik Front leader Zahed Ahmad, local organizers Kamal Ahmad, Nizam Uddin, Helal Uddin, Samajtantrik Anwar Hossain of Chhatra Front and others.

During the distribution of fertilizer and seeds, the leaders said that still 80 percent of the country’s population is directly and indirectly related to agriculture. Despite extreme neglect, 14 percent of GDP comes from agriculture. The government has announced an increase in the price of urea fertilizer by 6 rupees per kg or 300 rupees per 50 kg bag i.e. 38% from August 1, 22, with wrong information about the price increase in the international market and rational use of urea fertilizer. Both the government’s arguments are ridiculous and fallacious. Because the price of fertilizer in the international market is decreasing now. While the price of 1 ton of urea fertilizer was 925 makin dollars in April, it has decreased to 692 makin dollars in June. Moreover, the farmers are destroying the fertility of the land by using more urea, as a result of which they are talking about rational use, but the Ministry of Agriculture and the government have not taken any effort to make the farmers aware. So the rational use can increase the price? It is a wrong policy of the government. Because the government has reduced the food consumption of 53% people by increasing the price of goods. This irrational decision to increase the price of fertilizers will reduce agricultural production and threaten our food security. The increase in the price of urea fertilizer will have an impact in other areas as well. Already, the cost of production of agricultural crops has increased due to the continuous increase in the prices of agricultural inputs including fertilizers, seeds, pesticides. Again, farmers are forced to throw their produce on the streets and even commit suicide as they do not get fair price for their produce. There is a new increase in the price of fertilizers and fuel oil, which is a ‘death blow’ to the farmers. Farmers and farm laborers today are in a total crisis.

The speakers demanded to reduce the prices of daily necessities including rice-dal-oil-sugar and to start rationing for the workers. Press release