The agriculture cell of the National Citizen Party (NCP) on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Agriculture urging the government to take immediate steps to address the devastating crop losses suffered by farmers in the haor region due to flashfloods and upstream water.
The memorandum, signed by NCP Joint Chief Coordinator and Agriculture Secretary Golam Mortuja Selim, was received by ministry officials in the absence of Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid.
NCP central members and agriculture cell members Touhid Ahmed Ashik and Md Omar Faruk were also present on the occasion.
In the memorandum, the party said thousands of hectares of ripe Boro paddy have already gone under water across vast haor areas in Sunamganj, Habiganj, Netrokona and Kishoreganj districts, while the remaining crops face acute risk.
It noted that around 37 percent of the crop is still standing in the fields in an unripe state, with rapid deterioration feared due to sudden flooding.
Even harvested paddy is rotting due to inadequate drying and storage facilities, the memorandum said, adding that fodder for livestock has also been destroyed, pushing farming families to the brink.
The party identified labour shortages, lack of mechanised support and weak embankments as factors compounding the crisis, warning that many farmers have already lost everything and now face food insecurity.
It called on the government to declare flood-affected districts as disaster zones and provide emergency cash assistance and free food aid for affected farmers.
The NCP also demanded full waiver of agricultural loans for completely ruined farmers along with easy-term re-financing, and the immediate deployment of mobile drying units and temporary dryers on an emergency basis.
It urged the government to launch special paddy-harvesting programmes with Army and administrative support, ensure adequate harvesters and mechanised assistance, and expedite repairs to embankments while constructing durable long-term flood barriers.
The memorandum further called for implementation of an integrated master plan for haor management, modernisation of early flood forecasting and warning systems, introduction of crop insurance for farmers, and preparation of a full list of affected farmers to ensure rapid rehabilitation.
"If the haor farmers survive, the nation's food security is secured," the memorandum said, calling on the government to act without delay.