Paddy farmers across the country have started suffering from acute shortage of farm labour to harvest their hard-earned produce as the lack of public transport, triggered by the ongoing shutdown to rein in coronavirus.
To relieve farmers of this labour crisis, leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the Awami League’s student body, have started helping rice farmers in harvesting the produce across the country.
Now, leaders and activists of Joypurhat district Chhatra League have cut off 2 bighas of paddy from a poor farmer and handed it over to his family. On Thursday morning, they cut paddy from two bighas of land belonging to Paulin Fakir, a poor farmer from Barkandri village in Panchbibi upazila of Joypurhat.
BCL leaders and activists led by district BCL president Zakaria Hossain Raja and general secretary Abu Bakkar Siddique have cut the paddy. Later, they also delivered it to the house of the paddy farmer.
Farmer Pauline Fakir said, “During this frustrating situation, Chhatra League came forward and helped me. I am grateful to them.”
District BCL President Zakaria Hossain Raja said, “Farmers are not getting workers to harvest paddy due to labour shortage in Joypurhat district amid coronavirus.”
“Upon receiving the news, the district BCL formed a team. Wherever there is a labour crisis, the BCL leaders and activists will come and cut the paddy of the farmers”, he added.