Char lands can have major impacts on economy: State Minister

Minister of State for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharya said on Tuesday that char lands have the immense potential to have a major impact in advancing the country's economy.

At a roundtable titled "Char in the economic policy landscape of Bangladesh" in the capital, he also stated, "Approximately 32,000 hectares of char land in the country can be used efficiently through proper management, and it will contribute positively to the country's economy."

He emphasised that the cost of agricultural production in char lands is remarkably low, and the quality of crops produced there is of exceptionally high quality, often finding their way to international markets. 

Char agriculture, he added, holds great promise and has the potential to significantly impact the nation's economy.

Moreover, the state minister underscored the progress made by women of char areas through their involvement in various productive activities, including agriculture. 

He also acknowledged the substantial contributions of government organisations, as well as private and international entities, in the development of agriculture and the increase in its productivity.

During the keynote presentation, Atiur Rahman, chairman of the National Char Alliance, highlighted the evolving landscape of char lands due to the combined efforts of government initiatives and private institutions. He also stressed the need to pay more attention to char areas, especially in light of economic and natural calamities.

Atiur Rahman noted, "Char lands have been accorded due importance and priority in the 8th Five Year Plan, Bangladesh Delta Plan, and Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan. However, the people of char areas are still lagging behind socio-economically compared to other areas. They still depend mainly on the informal economy for their livelihood."

He called for collaborative efforts among all stakeholders to realise the immense potential of char lands and continue advocating for the needs of char residents to ensure the adoption and implementation of realistic and timely development programs.

Mosammat Hamida Begum, secretary of the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, who chaired the event, emphasised the importance of developing char areas while maintaining the natural flow of the rivers.

Representatives of various development organisations including Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service, Save the Children, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation, Friendship, Oxfam Bangladesh, Gram Unnayan Karma, and Bangladesh Farmers Federation participated in the event.