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Minister assures salinity-hit farmers of protecting their interests

Star Business Report
The commerce minister yesterday said that the government will do everything to protect the interests of the people who have been facing harsh economical and social fallout from the increased salinity and diminished fertility of lands.
s "We have been discussing the • draft National Shrimp Cultivation Policy 2009 in the parliament, and we would further discuss it in the parliamentary standing committee. Nevertheless, we would not take any decision against the peo-
ple,” said Faruk Khan at a seminar in Dhaka.
Held at the LGED auditorium, the seminar on 'Commercial Shrimp Cultivation: Food Security, Social and Environmental Effects' was jointly organised by Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), Human Development Research Centre (HDRC), Nijera Kori and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)
The minister pointed to the fact that ecological damage as a result of the saline-water-based shrimp
cultivation in the coastal belt fertile lands is huge.
"Bangladesh fetches around Tk 3 crore a year from shrimp exports. On the other hand, the natural resources damage is double the amount the country earns from the item's exports,” Khan said.
Speakers from the partner organisations described the shrimp farming's harsh impact on environment, livelihood and biodiversity in the coastal belts, especially southern part of the country.
They urged the government to
seek opinions of die people from all walks of life, especially the people badly affected by shrimp cultivation, before finalising the draft National Shrimp Cultivation Policy 2009.
They also underscored the need to enact a law to protect arable lands from commercial shrimp cultivation.
Presenting the keynote BELA Executive Director Syeda Rizwana Hasan said the draft policy lacks any cost-effective analysis how the farmers and landless people will be benefited.
"Besides defining environmental and social effects of shrimp cultivation, the policy should strongly control commercial shrimp cutture," she said.
Khushi Kabir, the coordinator of Nijera Kori presided over the seminar, also addressed by Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, president of Bangladesh Economic Association, Dr.Abul Barakat, professor of Economics at Dhaka University, Advocate Shorab Ali Sana MP from Khulna-6 and Nani Gopal Mondoi MPfrom Khulna-1.