BNP-Jamaat nexus cut down 20,000 trees: PM

The BNP-Jamaat nexus cut down some 20,000 trees over the last couple of months in the name of agitations, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Saturday.She made the allegation while addressing the Tree Plantation programme of Krishak League at her official residence Ganobhaban.
Hasina said there were trees on the road dividers of Dhaka city, but those trees were logged recently. “They (BNP-Jamaat) only know destruction, not creation,” she alleged.
The Prime Minister said BNP and its allies put the country at risk by cutting trees indiscriminately and said they can also claim the lives people, not only of trees.
Describing her government’s steps in making plantation programme a social movement, she said, initiatives have been taken to use every inch of land of the country to make people self-reliant.
In this context, the Prime Minister mentioned that her government has been creating a green lattice across the coastal areas from Cox’s Bazar to Teknaf which would protect the region from the adverse impacts of climate change.
Sheikh Hasina urged every citizen to plant at least three saplings — one of fruit, one of herbal and other of timber, and nurture to contribute to the government’s efforts in building a bright future for the next generation.
Criticising BNP’s previous policy of keeping the country a food deficit one to make business through imports, Sheikh Hasina said her government has been working tirelessly to make the nation self-dependent and thereby turning it a dignified nation.
She said following the path of the Father of the Nation, her government put emphasis on enhancing production of food, crops and fish alongside establishing agro-based small and medium industries in the country to ensure economic emancipation.
In this regard, she said, her government has provided bank loans to the farmers only at 4 percent interest for producing spicy items, including onion, ginger and turmeric.
Stressing the importance of producing various ready packs of local vegetables, the Prime Minister said these have national and international markets, particularly to over 80 lakh Bangladeshi Expatriates.
Hasina said various measures of her government have again made the country self –reliant in food production though BNP-Jamat during their previous tenure created 30 lakh tons shortage of food.
She said fish production has increased by over 20 percent in last four and half years while each and every village has been made self-sufficient through various programmes, including ‘One House One Farm’.
Mentioning the steps of introducing seeds of different crops and paddy in the southern region of the country, the Prime Minister said these are tolerant to salinity and giving better production in the region.
She requested the conscious section of society to play their due role in inspiring rural people so that they get involved in productive programmes like plantation.
Sheikh Hasina urged all to work hard for building a prosperous and developed country through implementing her government’s vision-2021.
Chaired by President of Bangladesh Krishak League Motahar Hossain Molla, the programme was addressed, among others, by Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Forest and Environment Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Former President of Krishak League Advocate Rahmat Ali MP and Krishak League General Secretary Advocate Khandakar Shamsul Haque Reza.
Later, the Prime Minister distributed saplings among some Krishak League activists and planted a sapling at Ganobhaban. (Source: UNB)

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