Thakurgaon Correspondent
A full-fledged 11-member committee of Somonnito Krishak Forum, an alliance of farmers with disabilities, was formed on Monday in Thakurgaon.
Md Mokbul Hossain has been elected the new president of the farmers’ body while Muntasir Mamun got the post of general secretary.
Among others elected members are– Shyamoli Debnath as vice president and Maria Khaka as treasurer while Bilashi, Rafiqul Islam, Suborna Tudu, Abdul Mannan, Yakub Ali, Monsur, and Faziluddin were elected as executive members of the body.
The president of the new body, Mokbul Hossain, said: “We want to change our fate ourselves under this newly elected body.”
“We’re more powerful now as untied,” said Mokbul adding that the new body will work in securing the rights of farmers with disabilities in Thakurgaon first and later they will form committees countrywide.
Sabyasachi Sinha, the project manager, The Leprosy Mission International-Bangladesh, who played an important role in guiding and inspiring the farmers with disabilities, said “We worked for effective inclusion of farmers with disabilities in agriculture for over three years under ES-CC project.”
ICCO Corporation funded the ES-CC Project with three aims– disability inclusion in agriculture, disabled farmers’ access to facilities provided by the government and other non-government organizations, and inspiring companies and other stakeholders to produce disable-friendly agricultural equipment, said Sabyasachi.
A number of 28 farmers with disabilities from Thakurgaon Sadar, Haripur, Baliadangi, Ranisankail, and Pirganj upazilas attended the event.
Thanking the government for providing facilities for persons with disabilities, newly-elected general secretary Muntasir, urged the authorities concerned to ensure agri-related general facilities for farmers with disabilities.
