Staff Reporter :
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said that genuine food security can be achieved only through a partnership between the government and farmers.
In a message posted on his verified Facebook account on Thursday marking World Food Day, he made this statement.
Tarique Rahman said, “The BNP believes that genuine food security is established through the partnership among the government, farmers, entrepreneurs, and our people-where everyone together builds a sustainable food system.”
Paying tribute to the farmers of Bangladesh, he added, “On this day, we reaffirm our firm commitment to our nation’s food providers-our farmers. Bangladesh has been built by their labor, nourished by their sacrifice, and strengthened by their resilience.
From the fertile fields of Bogura to the floating gardens of Barishal, every grain of crop carries within it the story of their endurance and our shared future.”
Referring to the role of BNP’s founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman in the agricultural sector, Tarique Rahman said, “President Ziaur Rahman assumed leadership at a time when the nation was in famine and despair.
He knew that independence was incomplete without food security. Under his leadership, Bangladesh broke free from dependence on others and embarked on a path of dignity.
Through irrigation expansion, canal excavation, and multiple cropping, a famine-stricken nation was led toward self-sufficiency in food.”
He further said, “Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia carried that legacy forward to a new generation.
Through fertilizer subsidies, rural electrification, and the ‘Food for Work’ program, farmers were empowered, rural life was revitalized, and no family was left hungry. It is on this foundation that we stand today.”
Tarique Rahman said, “Today, as Bangladesh faces rising food prices, water shortages, and climate threats, we must strengthen that foundation-not only for our own people but also for those who have sought refuge and livelihood within our borders.”
He also shared six core ideas for achieving true food security in the country:
Every farmer will be provided with a secure digital ID card, through which they can directly access fertilizers, subsidies, fair prices, loans, crop insurance, and government procurement-without intermediaries. This will end exploitation and make farmers genuine partners in the national economy.
The goal is to restore and keep functional 20,000 kilometers of rivers and canals, reintroduce irrigation systems, and construct modern Teesta and Ganges barrages to preserve national water flow.
The Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) method of rice cultivation will be expanded, which will reduce carbon emissions, save water, and enable Bangladesh to earn millions of dollars from carbon credits.
Through the ‘Family Card’ and ‘Health for All’ programs, women will be recognized as heads of households and empowered to lead food and nutrition security efforts-enhancing their economic participation and family well-being.
Initiatives in agriculture and food processing-from cold storage logistics to export-oriented food industries-will create 1.3 million new jobs.
Farmers will be connected to both domestic and international markets through preservation, processing, and exports.
Establishing modern warehouses and cold storage facilities will reduce food waste and increase farmers’ incomes. Young people will be developed as agro-entrepreneurs through mechanization, drone technology, and startup funding.
A national circular economy will be established, where plastic, e-waste, and agricultural waste will be recycled into productive resources.
Rural biogas centers and waste-to-energy projects will make the rural economy sustainable.
At the same time, agricultural research, extension, and training will be modernized so that high-quality seeds, technologies, and innovations reach farmers directly at their doorsteps.
