Arable land protection law to be enacted in two months: Adviser

The proposed Land Zoning and Protection Act is likely to be enacted within the next couple of months, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser of the ministries of environment, forests, climate change, and water resources, said on Monday.

"We are hopeful that we will be able to pass the agricultural land protection law within two to three months," she said, adding that an inter-ministerial meeting regarding the law has already taken place.

"It will be made available for public consultation, following another inter-ministerial meeting, before the law is enacted," she said.

She came up with the announcement at a discussion titled 'Agricultural Produce and Life-Nature', organised by leading Bangla daily Bonik Barta at a city hotel.

She was speaking as the chief guest at the session of the day-long programme.

Economist Professor Anu Muhammad as the special guest attended the session moderated by Editor of the newspaper, Dewan Hanif Mahmud.

Multimode Group Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo, East Coast Group Chairman Azam J Chowdhury, IUBAT Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Abdur Rab, Bangladesh Poribesh Bachao Andolan Vice President Khushi Kabir, and Gazipur Agricultural University Professor Dr. Tofazzal Islam were present as panel discussants.

Speaking on the occasion, Syeda Rizwana Hasan also said the country's people have been hearing about enactment of a law regarding land zoning and protection of agricultural land for many years; though there has been no evident progress in this regard.

She further said sustainable development is not possible without the coordination of three issues such as food security, agriculture, and wildlife.

The issue of environment protection in the country often gets entangled in many 'ifs' and 'buts', she said, explaining that many development activities frequently compromise their harmful impact on the environment.

"Environmental destruction in the name of development is unacceptable, it must be brought into the mainstream," she said.

The adviser said that to ensure food security, the environment and the interests of farmers must be protected.

Anu Muhammad said agriculture and farmers' rights have always been overlooked by the agencies concerned in the country.

"A total of 13 farmers committed suicide in the last four months," he said, indicating that a sense of deprivation haunts the farmers.

The economist also underscored the need for extensive research and development to enhance output conserving the nature.

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