Govt spending was seen as achievement: Commerce adviser

Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin has said government spending by creating new segments in the past was often viewed as an achievement in itself, regardless of its outcomes or public benefit.

"In government purchase committees, I have seen references to various [past] projects and expenditure breakdowns from different ministries. It seemed that merely creating avenues for spending was regarded as an accomplishment," he said at a conference today (5 May).

"This was treated as a sign of competence – how much one could spend and how much liability could be placed on the state and its citizens," the adviser said during the closing session of the conference titled "Agriculture, Food Security and Life-Nature" organised by Bonik Barta at a hotel in the capital.

Criticising what he called a historic "spending spree" by previous governments, Sk Bashir said, "While investment is needed to strengthen the supply chain and storage capacity for agricultural products, the country now faces challenges due to the burdens placed on citizens by past spending patterns."

He also questioned the reliability of official data, saying, "Statistics in this country have done little but create confusion. Many of these figures were produced by leading economists, but instead of offering clarity, they have contributed to disorder."

In the opening session of the conference, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter raised concerns over the uncritical promotion of mechanisation in agriculture. "We must ask whether it is causing harm, such as reducing the role of livestock," she said.

She stressed the importance of ensuring both consumer access to safe food and profitability for farmers. 

"If we destroy life and nature in the name of food production, we are not producing food – we are producing industrial products. And if agriculture becomes fully industrialised, the farmer will disappear," she warned.

Law on agri land protection nears

Addressing the event, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said, "A law to protect agricultural land is expected to be passed within the next two months."

"Despite years of discussion, no concrete steps have been taken to safeguard agriculture and farmers. The upcoming law will include provisions for farmer protection, and the agriculture ministry is working on a clear policy in this regard," she added.

The event was attended by Agriculture Secretary Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, Bangladesh Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Prof

AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, former director general of Livestock Research Institute Jahangir Alam, and former Jahangirnagar University professor Anu Muhammad, along with various stakeholders from the agriculture sector.