Written by The Banking Post
The government will introduce the Agricultural Land Protection Act within the next five to six months to stop farmland from being diverted for non-agricultural use, Agriculture and Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the inauguration of a farmers’ mini cold storage in Medulia village of Manikganj’s Singair upazila, the adviser said separate land would be allocated for industry and infrastructure. The new law will also ensure that landowners affected by LGED projects receive compensation at three times the land value, in line with what the Roads and Highways Department already provides.
Highlighting the cold storage project, Jahangir Alam said 100 such facilities will be set up in the first phase to help farmers preserve vegetables during the gap between winter and summer seasons. Each unit, with a storage capacity of 5–7 tonnes, will run on solar power by day and electricity at night. Farmers will be charged Tk 2 per kg for seven days of storage.
“This will stop farmers from selling vegetables at throwaway prices when supply is high. By storing them, they can sell later at better prices,” he said, adding that individuals would also be able to set up mini cold storages with financial and technical support.
The adviser also warned against selling topsoil from farmland to brick kilns, calling it a destructive practice that damages crop production.
Officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension, police, and local administration attended the event alongside project leaders.
