Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said that the production of hilsa has increased beyond all past records. He further said that all this was possible under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the worthy daughter of Bangabandhu.
The minister made the remarks while addressing a special guest at the RTV NRBC Bank Krishi Padak 2022 award ceremony at a hotel in the capital on Tuesday (February 1). He said the country's fisheries and livestock sector has now become a wonder of the world.
Agriculture Minister Dr. Md. Abdur Razzaq spoke as the chief guest on the occasion.
The Fisheries and Livestock Minister said, "The country was once lagging behind in the production of fish, meat, milk and eggs. There was a time when there was a famine of fish in the land of rice and fish. At one time it was said that if animals were not brought from India and Myanmar, there would be no sacrifice in Eid ul Azha. Now even if the demand for sacrifice is met with domestic animals, one tenth of the animals are left.'
Rezaul said the country is now producing adequate fish and livestock. "On the one hand, it is meeting the demand for food, meeting the demand for nutrition, about one crore people directly and indirectly involved in this sector are becoming self-sufficient, unemployment is being eliminated, entrepreneurs are being created in rural areas’
"Fisheries and livestock are now producing multifarious products," he said. Various products are being produced from fish to fish products, meat, milk and eggs which has created a huge potential for export.
Highlighting the research achievements of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, which won a medal in the institutional category, the minister said the institute has brought back 31 endangered species of native fish through scientific research. The live gene bank has been set up so that the fish is not lost again.
Minister of Agriculture Dr. Md. Abdur Razzak received a lifetime achievement award for his special contribution to the development of agriculture in the country.
Later, in recognition of their contribution in the fields of agriculture, fisheries and livestock, two organizations and six individuals were awarded the Agriculture Medal.
Among them, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, an institution under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, won a medal in the best innovation category for the development of fisheries in the country.
Also present on the occasion were RTV Chairman Morshed Alam MP, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Prof. Shibli Rubaiyat-ul-Islam, RTV Managing Director Humayun Kabir Bablu and NRBC Bank Chairman SM Parvez Tamal. Welcoming remarks were made by RTV CEO Syed Ashiq Rahman.