Advocate Hasnat Qayum addressed a farmers' rally in North Bengal. BSS

RANGPUR, Jan 27, 2025 (BSS) - Principal coordinator of the State Reform 
Movement Advocate Hasnat Qayum has said the lease system should be abolished 
from the Hat-ghats of Bangladesh to protect the interest of farmers, weavers 
and fishermen.
 
"The black law titled 'Seed Marketing and Agricultural Seed Act 2018' should 
be abolished for the farmers whose labor produces crops with sweat," he said.
 
He said this while addressing the Northbengal farmers' grand rally held at 
Shafiul Alam Raja Stadium ground on the banks of the Brahmaputra adjacent to 
Jorgach Bazar in Chilmari upazila of Kurigram on Sunday afternoon as the 
chief guest. 
 
The North Bengal Farmers' Grand Rally Implementation Committee organised the 
event with its Convener writer-columnist and organizer Nahid Hasan Knowledge 
in the chair.
 
Urban Planner Niaz Rahman, convener of the Education and Child Protection Act 
(Shishir) Rakhal Raha, Economist Didarul Bhuiyan, organiser Aminul Islam Bir, 
President of Chilmari Press Club Nazrul Islam Sabu, President of Press Club 
Chilmari Monirul Alam Litu, President of Chilmari Journalists' Forum Sawrat 
Hossain Sohel, among others, addressed. 
 
The chief guest said the government allocates Taka 40 thousand crore as 
subsidy every year in the name of farmers. But instead of giving it to 
farmers, the money is given to the foreign companies whereas farmers are 
arrested for a loan of just Taka 500. 
 
"The maximum taxes are collected from working people as invisible taxes. The 
government collects Taka eight lakh crore of taxes every year from essential 
commodities without ensuring rights and interests of farmers, weavers and 
fishermen," he said.
 
The other speakers said that even though farmers sacrificed their lives in 
various movements after the partition of the country, no government had given 
dignity to those farmers. Farmers have always had to remain deprived. 
 
Although various companies are now destroying the fertility of the land by 
trading in fertilizers, seeds and pesticides, the government has not taken 
any legal action against them. 
 

The weavers, fishermen and farmers are still hostages in the hands of 
moneylenders. 
 
They forwarded a 12-point demand from the rally and urged the interim 
government to accept the demands to successfully implement the reform law 
plan to save the farmers and save the country.
 
They cautioned that they will never accept the reform law excluding the 
farmers, weavers, fishermen and working people of the country. 
 
They said that the Northbengal Farmers' Grand Rally will be spread across the 
country including the haors and baors to implement the 12-point demands.