The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Fifty-five agriculturists on Friday urged the countrymen to cast vote for Mohajote candidates to ensure food for all, keep prices of essentials within the people's buying capacity and make the country self-sufficient again in food.

In a statement, they said Bangladesh turned into a food surplus country with 26 lakh metric tons of foodgrains in 2001 from a food deficit country with a deficit of 40 lakh MT foodgrains in 1996 due to the effective and time-befitting agriculture policy formulated by the past Awami League government.

As a result, the statement said, 77 percent landless marginal and small farmers lived their life with solvency due to stable prices of essentials and their buying capacity.

But, unfortunately, Bangladesh turned into a food deficit country again after 2001 because of massive plundering, corruption and inefficiency of the Jamaat-BNP alliance government, it said.

The signatories to the statement included former vice- chancellor of Bangladesh Agriculture University Prof Moslehuddin Chowdhury, Scientist Emeritus Kazi Badruddoza, former secretary Mirza A Jalil, former secretary Dr Zahurul Karim, former executive chairman of BARC Dr Matlubur Rahman, former director general of DAE Ayubur Rahman, President of Bangladesh Agriculture University Teachers Association Prof AKM Saidul Haq Chowdhury, former vice- chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agriculture University Prof Ashraful Kamal, agriculturists Abdul Mannan, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Mashiur Rahman Humayun.