Govt working to restore due respect to those deprived for 17 years: state minister for sports

Photo: Collected

The government is working to give back due respect to those who have been victims of deprivation for the long 17 years, said Aminul Haque, state minister for youth and sports and convener of Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP. He said initiatives have been taken to give back the rights and dignity of long-deprived people not only in Bangladesh Krishi Bank but in all sectors.

He said these things in his speech as chief guest at the Dhaka divisional conference and tree plantation programme of Bangladesh Krishi Bank Employees Union (CBA) B-985 at the Staff College auditorium in Mirpur-13 of the capital on Wednesday afternoon.

Aminul Haque said, ‘We want to gradually give back due respect to those who were deprived for 17 years. The government is working in all sectors towards that goal. I will try to raise the problems and demands of Krishi Bank officials that have come up today at the higher level of the government through those concerned.’

Addressing the officers and employees of Krishi Bank, he said lessons must be learnt from past mistakes; nothing can be done in future that raises the question of accountability to the people. He also called for playing a responsible role in protecting farmers’ rights and customers’ interests.

On the waiver of agricultural loans, the state minister said Krishi Bank’s customers have received the benefit of a large part of the government’s initiative to waive agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000 along with interest. He thanked the bank for standing by farmers. According to government figures, loans of up to Tk 10,000 of 14,34,482 farmers across the country have been waived along with interest up to July 2026.

He said the Farmer Card initiative was not taken abruptly. This programme has been planned precisely in consideration of farmers’ long-standing problems, not getting fair prices and the dominance of middlemen. There is a plan to bring all farmers of the country under this card in phases. It has been proposed to give cards to 42.05 lakh farmers in 100 upazilas in the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Aminul Haque said farmers will get various facilities, including agricultural loans on easy terms, through the Farmer Card. There is also a plan to give marginal and landless farmers Tk 2,500 in cash assistance once a year. The aim of these initiatives is to ensure farmers’ fair rights and make them self-reliant.

He further said that if farmers become self-reliant, Krishi Bank officials will also get the opportunity to discharge their duties properly. Standing by helpless and marginal farmers is the main responsibility of Krishi Bank.

Highlighting various programmes of the government, he said the government is working in various sectors, including the Farmer Card, Family Card, education, health, allowances for imams and muezzins, canal excavation, tree plantation and sports. He spoke of making use of the next four and a half years to implement these programmes.

The programme was addressed by BNP assistant labour affairs secretary Firozuzzaman Mamun Molla, Krishi Bank Dhaka division general manager Golam Md Arif, Bangladesh Krishi Bank Staff College principal AHM Mahbubul Baset Bhuiyan, Sramik Dal Dhaka Metropolitan North convener Kazi Shah Alam Raja, Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP member secretary Mohammad Kamruzzaman, Krishi Bank deputy general manager Zahid Hossain, agriculturist Liaquat Hossain, Bangladesh Krishi Bank Employees Union (CBA) general secretary Md Miraz Hossain and president Foyez Uddin Ahmed.

Mohammad Ali, convener of Bangladesh Krishi Bank Employees Union (CBA) Dhaka division, presided over the conference.