The seasonal lean period of ‘monga’ passed off from Rangpur region without any bite for the sixth consecutive time this year following huge change in the overall socioeconomic condition of the common people.The poor led normal life this year during the two-month long seasonal lean period of ‘monga’ though it generally prevailed from Aswin 1 to Kartik 30 causing immense suffering to them due to joblessness even a decade ago.The situation has been changed now sustainably as the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has irreversibly eradicated ‘monga’ relieving the poor from the decades-old curse of extreme poverty.According to social experts, the poor, day- and farm-labourers did not feel any bite of ‘monga’ this year for the sixth consecutive time during the two-month long lean period that continued till Kartik 30 last.The poor have achieved self- reliance mostly through small-scale enterprises, trades, cottage industries, sewing handloom garments, homestead farming, pisciculture, rearing poultry birds, animals and participatory social forestation and other activities.The comprehensive social safety-met programme, easy-term loans, training for unemployed male and female youths on various trades, digitisation and assistance of the government, NGOs, donor agencies and development partners played important role.Talking to BSS, Chilmari upazila chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said hundreds of the poor led miserable life for lack of farm activities in crop fields during the months of Aswin and Kartik before commencement of Aman harvest even a decade ago.But, the situation has been changed and children of the poorer families are now going to the schools even in the poverty-prone char areas on the Brahmaputra bed where the common people were living under abject poverty in the pasts, he mentioned.Legendary freedom fighter Taramon Bibi, Bir Pratik, said ‘monga’ would never come back as the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina still continues implementing huge programmes even after eradicating the seasonal curse successfully.Chairmen Alhaj Sohrab Hossain of Astomirchar union and Ataur Rahman of Noyarhat union in Chilmari upazila said nobody can now find children or adolescents as domestic help in char areas following huge improvement in the economic condition of the poor.Head of Programme Coordination of RDRS Bangladesh Manjushree Saha said the success has been achieved following various effective steps of the government and development organisations in eradicating ‘monga’ permanently.Highly lauding the government success, Executive Director of Northbengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said ‘monga’ has disappeared permanently from Rangpur region due to huge improvement in the economic condition of the peoples.The socioeconomic condition of the poor has marked sustainable improvement following their engagements with various income generating activities, effective and comprehensive GO-NGO and private sector initiatives during the past six years, he said.Noted rice scientist and Associate Director -Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia and Africa) Dr M A Mazid said expanded farming of short duration Aman rice varieties played important role in combating ‘monga’ during the past six years period.“Huge jobs for farm- labourers, poor and distressed people are being created following early harvest of the short duration rice during the whole seasonal lean period paving ways for them to earn better livelihoods driving away ‘monga’,” he said.District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Rangpur Abdus Salam said the government successfully implements employment generation, VGF, VGD, TR, FFW, allowance distribution and social safety-net programmes eradicating the seasonal curse. -BSS, Rangpur
