The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday laid emphasis on producing more foodgrains and building a buffer stock with a view to reducing dependency on foreign countries and averting future food crisis in the country.

They suggested immediate introduction of rationing system throughout the country. And allocate more subsidies to the farmers for producing staple food. "It is essential to produce more food by giving all sorts of agricultural inputs to the farmers" they said at a roundtable on " Food Situation in Bangladesh" organised by The Main Roaders" at the CIRDAP auditorium in the city.

Mahbubul Alam former adviser of the caretaker government and Editor of The Independent was present as chief guest. Mostafa Kamal Majumder, president of the organisation and Editor of The New Nation presented a keynote paper and moderated the event.

It was also, attended among others, by Jaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Chief Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, former state minister for foeign affairs Abul Ahsan Chowhury, journalist Sadek Khan, former state minister Adv Rahmat Ali, Abul Asad, editor of the Daily Sangram, Bangladesh Kalyan party president Maj Gen (Retd) Muhammad Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister Dr MA Matin, UNB city editor Shamsuddin Ahmed, former MP Zahiruddin Swapan, acting president of Dhaka Union of Journalist Azizul Huq Banna, Nurul Huq Majumder president and Atiqul Islam general secretary of Bangladesh Muslim League and Maulana Abdul Latif Nizami general secretary of Islami Oikya Jote.

Mentioning that ethanol and other bio-fuels are a 'significant contributor' to soaring food prices around the globe Mahbubul Alam stressed the need for producing more food. In this regard he called upon the government to allocate more funds and provide other facilities to the farmers for producing more food grains.

"The country has always required at least 10 lack metric tonnes of food stock" he observed and called upon all to create a green revolution in the country.

Jaglul Ahmed Chowdhury highlighted on securing food security in the SAARC countries. Maj Gen (Retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim said in the last ten years the agricultural land has drastically reduced for industrialisation and housing purposes that resulted in shortages of food in the country. He called upon the government to reactive the government owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and taking long-term effective policy for facing food crisis. Abul Ahsan Chowdhury said the government should have taken up a ten year plan for food security of the country.

"Agriculture sector should be non negotiable and there should be a united policy regarding food matters" he said adding that media could play an important role in resolving this issue.

Blaming the government for its inability to run the country properly Adv Rahmat Ali said due to the absence of a land policy the agricultural land of the country are not being used properly. He called upon the government to take effective land policy for creating employment of poor people of the country.

Dr MA Matin said if we stop corruption and cultivate land by following scientific methods then the production of foodgrains would increase significantly.