Agronomists demand Covid-19 vaccine on priority basis
At least 50 agronomists have already died of Covid-19, said the executive president of the The Bangladesh Agricultural University Alumni Association
Agronomists have urged the government to provide them the Covid-19 vaccine on a priority basis, plus provide necessary support and incentives to keep the production and supply system of the agricultural sector running in the coming days.
The Bangladesh Agricultural University Alumni Association placed the demand at a press conference arranged at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity on Friday.
The agronomists who died of Covid-19 and contracted the virus while working in the field – to ensure the country's food security amid pandemic – should be declared frontline fighters, the organisation said.
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Hamidur Rahman, agronomist and executive president of the association, said, "The government has been giving maximum priority to the agricultural sector to deal with this crisis during the Covid-19."
The people involved in the sector have continued their work, risking their lives so that the supply chain of agro-products did not shut, even for a day, during the shutdown, he said.
Today, it was proven that agriculture can keep the wheel of the country's economy moving in the face of any disaster, Hamidur Rahman said.
''In the meantime, 50 agronomists have already died of Covid-19. At present, 30 are in critical condition and a total of 800 were infected," he added.
Badiuzzaman Badsha, executive general secretary of the association, said the government's health and agriculture sectors are leading the way in tackling the Covid-19 crisis. They need healthcare the most now.
''Agricultural sector frontline fighters should be vaccinated on a priority basis, like other sectors of the government such as: health, police, administration, freedom fighters, political leaders, and 60 plus-old citizens," he said.
