Ensure food security for farm workers

Eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain speaks at an international seminar as the chief guest at a city hotel yesterday. On his right are Karmojibi Nari President Shirin Akhter and Suryakant Bagal, secretary of General Mazdoor Sabha, India.Photo: STAR

Eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday called on the government to provide at least 100 days' work for each agricultural labourer in a year in order to ensure food security for them.
He also called for the introduction of a minimum wage for farm labourers.
"The country should ensure food security first for those people who produce foods for others. Without a guarantee of minimum working days, majority of agricultural labourers could not find work daily," Dr Kamal said at an international seminar as the chief guest.
Karmojibi Nari organised the seminar on 'Legal rights of agriculture workers' at a city hotel. Rights activists from home and abroad took part in the seminar.
Dr Kamal said around five crore people are working in rural areas and majority of them are agricultural labourers. If this huge number of workers remain outside the social safety net, poverty alleviation programme would not be successful.
Shirin Akhter, president of Karmojibi Nari, presided over the inaugural session while Rina Roy, director (rights) of Manusher Jonno Foundation, was present as special guest.
The speakers said the government should make a register of farm labourers in order to provide them with work.
They also called for the implementation of Agricultural Labour Ordinance 1984 to ensure minimum wage for the labourers.
The rights activists also demanded that khas land be allocated to farm labourers permanently along with financial and technological support.
They also suggested setting up an 'Agricultural workers' welfare fund', increasing agricultural subsidy and ensuring fair price for farm produces.
Mujahidul Islam Selim, general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Suryakant Bagal, secretary of General Mazdoor Sabha, India, and Shabitra Bhusal of All Nepal Women Association, Nepal, took part in second session of the seminar.