BSS, Rangpur :
The seasonal curse of ‘monga’ that repeated every year in the past causing immense suffering to the poorer section of people of this region, has been combated well to drive it away permanently.
Like in the past five consecutive years, ‘monga’ is again absent for the sixth year this time following huge change in the socioeconomic condition of the common people here since the year 2008.
Hundreds of the poor, especially those living in the remote char areas, had to lead miserable life during the seasonal lean period of Aswin and Kartik months for want of jobs and livelihoods even a decade ago.
But, the things have changed now following various effective steps taken by the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during two consecutive terms to eradicate ‘monga’ from Rangpur region permanently.
According to the researchers, social experts, NGO executives and government officials, the poor do not feel any bite of ‘monga’ at this peak hour of ‘monga’ since the period commenced from Aswin 1 last as per the Bengali calendar.
Executive Director of Rangpur-based North Bengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said ‘monga’ has been combated permanently to bring huge positive changes among the common people. He said the massive social safety works like employment generation, VGF, VGD, TR, FFW and allowances for widows, aged people, divorcees, handicapped, sub-stipends and other assistances played vital role effectively towards the direction.
“Following improvement in the socioeconomic conditions of the poorer section people, their children are now going to schools even in poverty-prone char areas where people had to live amid abject poverty in the pasts,” he added.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said there is no ‘monga’ also following expanded cultivation of short duration rice varieties with early harvest during peak ‘monga’ period creating jobs for the farm-labourers.
“Over 13 lakh man-day jobs are being created for the farm-labourers following early harvest of short duration Aman rice being cultivated on over one lakh hectares of land annually in this region during the peak ‘monga’ period,” he said.
Monjusree Saha, Head of Programme Coordination of RDRS Bangladesh, said hectic GO-NGO and private sector initiatives have improved socioeconomic condition of the poor ensuring their engagements with various income generation activities.
Thousands of the poor have achieved self-reliance through small-scale enterprises, trades, cottage industries, sewing handloom garments, micro-credit activities, homestead farming, pisciculture, rearing poultry birds, animals and other activities in recent years.
“The massive social safety net activities, training for unemployed youths for income generation activities, assistances of the government, NGOs, donor agencies and development partners played important role in driving away monga,” she said. District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Rangpur Abdus Salam said the seasonal ‘monga’, which repeated every year creating untold sufferings to jobless farm workers in the past, has already disappeared permanently from the whole Rangpur region.
“The government has still been implementing comprehensive social safety-net programmes and income generation activities for the poor to stop recurrence of the curse,” he added.
