There is alarming news from Rangpur. Rice, the coarse variety of course, is selling at Taka 13. And that is also the price, strangely of a kilogram of atta also. When nigh cereals price comes in tandem with the name of Rangpur one Has reason for serious concern. It has been a particularly famine-prone area for many decades. Gone are the days when the cash crops of tobacco and potato used to plough in enough money to the Rangpur farmers to offset the effects of producing less than enough rice. The peasant has been left in the lurch, for many years now.

The months leading to the Poush harvest weren't either happy for the whole region. We had then requested for free food centres in selected areas of the northern zone. The same factors operated then as they do now. Rangpur is deficit in rice production. And the people have practically no buying power as there is little employment generating industrial or other investment in the area.

The need was to envision a grand strategy to salvage Rangpur out of this impossible situation. That hasn’t oeen done by any of the successive governments. In spite of many attempts at cutting the size of land holdings, the region continues to be one dominated by big land-holders who live in the big cities and are not Interested in making far-seeing investments in their areas. So ?

The question is first of all for the government to face. And answer.