13 persons to get Agriculturally Important Person status
The government introduced the award to make the agriculture sector lucrative for the young and educated generation, the minister says
Thirteen persons in the country's agriculture sector will receive Agriculturally Important Person (AIP) status today, and they will enjoy the same benefits as the commercially important persons for one year.
They will be conferred the status for the first time for their outstanding contribution to the agriculture sector in 2020.
Of the thirteen, four have been named for the status in the "agricultural innovation varieties/technology" category.
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They are Lutful Hasan from Bangladesh Agricultural University, Ataus Sopan Malik, managing director of AR Malik Seeds Pvt Ltd, Syed Abdul Matin of Future Organic and Alimus Sadat Chowdhury of Alim Industries Ltd.
Six contributors to the agriculture sector will get the AIPs under the "agricultural production/commercial farm establishment and agro-processing industry" category.
They are Md Salim Reza, Distantho Agro Farm and Nursery in Natore, Md Mehedi Ahsan Ullah Chowdhury of Thakurgaon, Md Mahfuzur Rahman, Esha Integrated Agriculture Farm, Md Badrul Haider Bepari, Pirojpur, Md Shahbaz Hussain Khan, Patuakhali and Md Samsuddin (Kalu), Cumilla.
Jahangir Alam Shah from Naogaon district will get the AIP status under the category of the government-approved or registered organisation in agricultural produce, fisheries, livestock and forest subsectors.
Nurunnahar Begum of Pabna and Shahjahan Ali Badsha of Pabna will be awarded under the gold medal category of the Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award.
Agriculture Minister Mohammad Abdur Razzaque on Tuesday announced their names at a press conference at the Secretariat.
The awardees submitted their applications to their respective upazila office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) before 14 April 2020. The entire process had been completed following the Agricultural Important Person Policy-2019.
At the press conference, Abdur Razzaque said the government wants to promote the agriculture sector as lucrative and to attract the young and educated generation.
"We have introduced the award in Bangladesh to encourage farmers, agro-scientists, entrepreneurs, producers and agro-organisers," the minister said.
All the AIP award holders will receive the same benefits as the CIP status holders from the state, the minister said.
The commercially important person's (CIP) cardholders enjoy priority in seat reservation at government transports in air, road, rail and waterways and getting invitations at national events.
According to Agricultural Important Person Policy-2019, the agriculture ministry will provide the award in five categories every year.
The ministry can confer the status on a maximum of 10 people every year under the "Agricultural innovations varieties/technology" category, 15 people under the "agricultural production/commercial farm establishment and agro-processing industry" category, 10 persons under the "production of exportable agricultural products", 5 under "recognised or government registered agricultural organisation" and 5 under the Gold Medalists of the Bangabandhu Agricultural Award.
