A Correspondent:
Natore: State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin yesterday said that the government is determined to ensure the safety of lives and properties of the people living in the char areas of the Padma River.
“If necessary, joint operations will be conducted in the char areas through a coordinated approach to achieve this objective,” she made the remarks while addressing a law and order meeting at Lalpur Upazila here as the chief guest.
She said the highly promising char areas of the Padma River are sources of livelihood for the people through agriculture, fisheries and livestock rearing, among other activities.
“The present government has taken initiatives to ensure the safety of lives and property in the char areas through coordinated efforts so that the people living there can maintain a peaceful existence,” she added.
She further said strict administrative monitoring would continue to prevent illegal sand extraction in the char areas. “We are also considering a joint operation involving the law enforcement agencies from different districts,” she said.
The state minister said the government is working to improve the people’s quality of life and would not tolerate any irregularities in this regard.
“Everyone must play a responsible role from their respective positions. We want to take the country forward through collective efforts,” she said.
Replying to a question from the journalists, she said there is a full balance between the demand and supply of fertiliser now in the country.
“Monitoring and drives by the administration and the agriculture department are continuing to prevent all attempts to create an artificial crisis through hoarding,” she said.
“Not only fertiliser, we are determined to ensure that all government-provided benefits reach the intended beneficiaries,” the state minister asserted.
Lalpur Upazila Acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Abir Hossain presided over the meeting.
Earlier, she joined a view exchange meeting with the officials, employees and trainees of the Lalpur Upazila Youth Training Centre. After the meeting, she released fish fry into the internal water body of the training centre and another water body within the Lalpur Upazila Parishad premises.
Later in the afternoon, she attended a meeting of the Bagatipara Upazila Law and Order Committee as the chief guest.
She subsequently joined various government development programmes at Lalpur, Bagatipara and Baraigram upazilas.
