Kurigram, Jan 27, (V7N) - In the North Bengal Farmers' Convention, Hasnat Kaiyum, the Chief Coordinator of the State Reform Movement, stated that Bangladesh is a country of farmers and an agriculture-based nation. He pointed out that all those who have lost their lives in the recent uprisings are children of farmers. However, even after their deaths, these farmers and their struggles are not being discussed. The farmer class has been politically marginalized and rendered invisible.
 
On Sunday, January 26, at the Sefiul Alam Raja Stadium field in Chilmari, Kurigram, during the North Bengal Farmers' Convention, Hasnat Kaiyum spoke to the media about 12 demands, including the abolition of the lease system in markets and haats, preventing river erosion, and determining the price of agricultural products through discussions with farmers.
 
Kaiyum emphasized, "We believe that the direction for change in Bangladesh should focus on agriculture and farmers. How can their situation improve? We have discussed their problems at various levels with the government. We’ve tried to organize meetings and rallies in Dhaka. While some advisors to the government showed interest, we couldn’t fully capture the government’s attention on this matter."
 
He further remarked, "We have realized that the farmers of this poverty-stricken Kurigram, who are continuously exploited and kept out of the mainstream, need to be brought into the political perspective. Farmers across different regions are facing immense hardship today. For instance, farmers are selling cabbages at only two taka each, while consumers are buying them for 30 taka each. This creates a situation where both consumers and producers are being exploited. The middleman syndicate needs to be dismantled, and the whole country must be freed from it. This is the reason why we were compelled to organize today’s North Bengal Farmers’ Convention."
 
The convention, presided over by Nahid Hasan, the convener of the North Bengal Farmers' Convention Committee, also saw speeches from several prominent figures, including Rakhal Raha, a member of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), Sheikh Nasir Uddin, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Landless Movement, and urban planner Khondker Miaj Rahman.
 
Farmers from various areas participated in the convention, with over a hundred farmers joining the event.
 
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