Key body suggests laws to ban arable land use for non-farming purposes
Friday, 22 May 2009
FE Report
The parliamentary standing committee on agriculture has suggested enactment of strict laws to restrict use of arable land for non-farming purposes, its chairman said on Thursday.
Shawkat Momen Shajahan said Bangladesh with the world's highest density of population is fast losing arable land due to growing industrialisation and rapid encroachment of human habitat on farming areas.
"It's time we halt this mindless encroachment. We cannot allow use of arable land for purposes other than agriculture. The factories and educational institutions that have already been built should now go vertical, instead of grabbing more arable land," he said.
"There should be some sort of restrictions in place to stop this grim trend. We should enact laws to stop this aggression on our dwindling farmland," he said.
He made the comments after a meeting of the key parliamentary body on farming at the National Parliament Complex.
Shajahan said members of the committee were unanimous in their call for laws to ban non-farming activities on farming areas.
"If arable land is used for other purposes, the cases have to be strong. Besides, the persons should procure no objection certificate from the agriculture ministry," he added.
The key body's suggestions comes a couple of days after another parliamentary body demanded a halt in establishing new factories or homes in the country's shrinking arable land.
According to official statistics, Bangladesh is losing 8000 hectares of farm land every year, as the country's fast growing population looks for new land to build homes while entrepreneurs go deep into the countryside to set up factories.
Experts said if the trend is not reversed now, the country would permanently lose its food security, making its poor population more vulnerable to volatile international commodity prices.
Shajahan said his committee also suggested hiring adequate experts and field officials for the government's dozen plus agricultural agencies, which have been grossly undermanned in the past few years.
"The country has to increase its food production and to do that, we need sufficient human resources," he said.
The parliamentary standing committee on agriculture has suggested enactment of strict laws to restrict use of arable land for non-farming purposes, its chairman said on Thursday.
Shawkat Momen Shajahan said Bangladesh with the world's highest density of population is fast losing arable land due to growing industrialisation and rapid encroachment of human habitat on farming areas.
"It's time we halt this mindless encroachment. We cannot allow use of arable land for purposes other than agriculture. The factories and educational institutions that have already been built should now go vertical, instead of grabbing more arable land," he said.
"There should be some sort of restrictions in place to stop this grim trend. We should enact laws to stop this aggression on our dwindling farmland," he said.
He made the comments after a meeting of the key parliamentary body on farming at the National Parliament Complex.
Shajahan said members of the committee were unanimous in their call for laws to ban non-farming activities on farming areas.
"If arable land is used for other purposes, the cases have to be strong. Besides, the persons should procure no objection certificate from the agriculture ministry," he added.
The key body's suggestions comes a couple of days after another parliamentary body demanded a halt in establishing new factories or homes in the country's shrinking arable land.
According to official statistics, Bangladesh is losing 8000 hectares of farm land every year, as the country's fast growing population looks for new land to build homes while entrepreneurs go deep into the countryside to set up factories.
Experts said if the trend is not reversed now, the country would permanently lose its food security, making its poor population more vulnerable to volatile international commodity prices.
Shajahan said his committee also suggested hiring adequate experts and field officials for the government's dozen plus agricultural agencies, which have been grossly undermanned in the past few years.
"The country has to increase its food production and to do that, we need sufficient human resources," he said.