13 successful farmers named for AIP award

The government is going to give Agricultural Important Person (AIP) awards to 13 farmers and producers for their excellence in agriculture.

This state honour for successful farmers, formulated last year, will be as similar in status as the Commercially Important Person (CIP) award.

An event will be held to honour the farmers on Wednesday, said Agriculture Minister Mohammad Abdur Razzaque while addressing the press at the Secretariat on Tuesday. 

As per the minister's announcement, the people who have been selected for award in five separate categories are – Professor Lutful Hasan, Ataus Sopan Malik, Syed Abdul Matin, Alimuch Chadat Chowdhury, Md Salim Reza, Md Mehdi Ahsan Ullah Chowdhury, Md Mahfuzur Rahman, Md Badrul Haider Babari, Md Shahbaz Hossain Khan, Md Samchuddin, Md Jahangir Alam Shah, Nurunnahar Begum and Shah Jahan Ali Badshah.

All the AIP award holders will receive the same benefits as the CIP award holders do from the state, according to the statement.

Total four people will be honoured as AIPs in the "agricultural innovation varieties/technology" category.

Meanwhile, six contributors to the agriculture sector will get the AIPs under the "agricultural production/commercial farm establishment and agro-processing industry."

One individual will be awarded AIP under the "government-approved or registered organisation in agricultural produce, fisheries, livestock and forest subsectors" category. 

Besides, the two Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award gold medallists will also be recognised as AIPs.