BSS, Rangpur :
The seasonal lean period of ‘monga’ has factually become a historical term now as the people of Rangpur region felt its no bite during the months of ‘Aswin’ and ‘Kartik’ for the seventh consecutive time this year.
The poorer section people, including farm-labourers, led normal life during the just ended two-month long seasonal lean period though it generally caused immense miseries and sufferings to them due to joblessness even a decade ago.
The situation has been changed following improvement in the socioeconomic condition of the common people as the present government has irreversibly eradicated ‘monga’ relieving the poor from the decades-old curse of extreme poverty.
According to local observers, social experts, government and NGO officials, the poor, day- and farm-labourers did not feel any bite of ‘monga’ this year during the two-month long lean period that continued till yesterday (Kartik 30 last).
The success has been achieved following various effective steps taken by the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the past seven years towards the directions of eradicating ‘monga’ permanently.
Executive Director of Northbengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman lauded the government success and said that ‘monga’ has disappeared permanently due to huge improvement in the economic condition of the people.
He said the socioeconomic condition of the poor has marked sustainable improvement following their engagements with various income generating activities, effective and comprehensive GO- NGO- private sector initiatives during the past seven years.
Noted rice scientist and Advisor Agriculture, BRAC International (Asia and Africa) Dr MA Mazid told BSS that expanded cultivation of short duration Aman rice has played important role in combating ‘monga’ during the past seven years period.
“Huge jobs for the farm- labourers and poor are being created following early harvest of the short duration variety Aman rice during the whole seasonal lean period paving ways for them to earn better livelihoods driving away ‘monga’ from Rangpur region,” he said.
Head of Programme Coordination of RDRS Bangladesh Manjushree Saha said the poor have achieved self- reliance through various income generation activities with assistance of different government departments, NGO and donor agencies.
“The small-scale enterprises, trades, cottage industries, handloom garments, homestead farming, pisciculture, rearing poultry birds, animals and participatory social forestation and other income generation activities played vital role towards the directions,” she said.
Senior District Information Officer Humayun Kobir said the government’s social safety-met programme, easy-term loans, training for unemployed male and female youths on various trades, digitisation and other initiatives contributed to root out ‘monga.’
Chilmari upazila chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said hundreds of the poor led miserable life for lack of farm activities in crop fields during the months of Aswin and Kartik before commencement of Aman harvest even a decade ago.
“The situation has been changed and children of poorer families are now going to schools even in the poverty-prone areas where the common people were living under abject poverty in the pasts,” he added.
The seasonal lean period of ‘monga’ has factually become a historical term now as the people of Rangpur region felt its no bite during the months of ‘Aswin’ and ‘Kartik’ for the seventh consecutive time this year.
The poorer section people, including farm-labourers, led normal life during the just ended two-month long seasonal lean period though it generally caused immense miseries and sufferings to them due to joblessness even a decade ago.
The situation has been changed following improvement in the socioeconomic condition of the common people as the present government has irreversibly eradicated ‘monga’ relieving the poor from the decades-old curse of extreme poverty.
According to local observers, social experts, government and NGO officials, the poor, day- and farm-labourers did not feel any bite of ‘monga’ this year during the two-month long lean period that continued till yesterday (Kartik 30 last).
The success has been achieved following various effective steps taken by the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the past seven years towards the directions of eradicating ‘monga’ permanently.
Executive Director of Northbengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman lauded the government success and said that ‘monga’ has disappeared permanently due to huge improvement in the economic condition of the people.
He said the socioeconomic condition of the poor has marked sustainable improvement following their engagements with various income generating activities, effective and comprehensive GO- NGO- private sector initiatives during the past seven years.
Noted rice scientist and Advisor Agriculture, BRAC International (Asia and Africa) Dr MA Mazid told BSS that expanded cultivation of short duration Aman rice has played important role in combating ‘monga’ during the past seven years period.
“Huge jobs for the farm- labourers and poor are being created following early harvest of the short duration variety Aman rice during the whole seasonal lean period paving ways for them to earn better livelihoods driving away ‘monga’ from Rangpur region,” he said.
Head of Programme Coordination of RDRS Bangladesh Manjushree Saha said the poor have achieved self- reliance through various income generation activities with assistance of different government departments, NGO and donor agencies.
“The small-scale enterprises, trades, cottage industries, handloom garments, homestead farming, pisciculture, rearing poultry birds, animals and participatory social forestation and other income generation activities played vital role towards the directions,” she said.
Senior District Information Officer Humayun Kobir said the government’s social safety-met programme, easy-term loans, training for unemployed male and female youths on various trades, digitisation and other initiatives contributed to root out ‘monga.’
Chilmari upazila chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said hundreds of the poor led miserable life for lack of farm activities in crop fields during the months of Aswin and Kartik before commencement of Aman harvest even a decade ago.
“The situation has been changed and children of poorer families are now going to schools even in the poverty-prone areas where the common people were living under abject poverty in the pasts,” he added.
