The government is honouring people who have made important contributions to agriculture for the second time. The Ministry of Agriculture will give 22 people in five categories the "Agriculturally Important Person (AIP)" honour for 2021.

The ministry has issued an order naming 22 people as AIPs for important contributions to agriculture, among them A K M Farayezul Haque Ansari, head of ACI Limited, and media personality Shykh Seraj. The list was published in the gazette on Monday (24 June). The honour is given under the Agriculturally Important Person Policy, 2019.

The government has given the AIP honour in agriculture since 2020, as recognition similar to the CIP (Commercially Important Person). The 2020 honours were given in 2022, when 13 people received the AIP honour for the first time.

A committee led by the cabinet secretary makes recommendations for the AIP selection. After its recommendation, the list of those selected is published with the prime minister's approval.

Malay Chowdhury, additional secretary of the ministry's extension wing, told Jago News that AIP honours are being given to important people in agriculture for the second time. This time 22 people are being honoured in five categories. The AIP cards will be handed to the nominees at Osmani Memorial Auditorium on 7 July.

Under the policy, four AIPs have been selected in the "Agriculture (innovation of varieties/technology)" category, 10 in "Agricultural production/establishing commercial farms and agro-processing industry", two in "Production of exportable agricultural products", three in "Recognised or government-registered agricultural (crop/fisheries/livestock/forestry sub-sector) organisation" and three in "Gold medal winners of the Bangabandhu Krishi Puroskar".

A K M Farayezul Haque Ansari, head of ACI Limited, has been selected in this category. The ministry says he has contributed to research and extension in various fields of agriculture for 35 years as head of ACI Limited. ACI introduced hybrid rice in the country for the first time in 1999 and has so far marketed 13 hybrid rice varieties from its own research.

M A Matin (Matin Saikat), an agricultural entrepreneur from Daudkandi, Cumilla, is also being honoured. In 2006 he formed IPM (integrated pest management) and ICM (integrated crop management) clubs in Daudkandi with 10,000 farmers. As a result of his initiative, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) declared Daudkandi upazila a poison-free safe food upazila in 2017. In recognition of his work he received the Bangabandhu Krishi Padak in 2010 and 2017 and the National Environment Award in 2021.

Md Oli Ullah, owner of Janata Engineering in Chuadanga, is being honoured in this category for research on farm mechanisation. Working with various government and international organisations, he has conducted research on agricultural mechanisation and plays an important role in making and supplying farm machinery.

Swapan Kumar Das, upazila parishad chairman of Fakirhat, Bagerhat, has also been nominated. He brought 120 acres of land in his area under the use of organic pesticides instead of chemical fertiliser. To protect the environmental balance, he planted forest and medicinal trees (arjun, bohera) along roads and on fallow land on his own initiative, and date palm seedlings to protect against lightning.

Md Sanowar Hossain, an agricultural entrepreneur from Madhupur, Tangail, has been nominated in this category. On the agriculture department's advice he has built orchards of improved varieties of pomelo, pineapple, guava, dragon fruit, Saudi dates, Vietnamese dwarf coconut, Egyptian fig and other cash crops. His produce is sold in various districts and also exported.

Shahida Begum, an onion and onion seed producer from Faridpur, is being honoured. She earned a total of Tk 1 crore 65 lakh from onion seed production in the 2020-21 fiscal year. She is the owner of Khan Beej Bhandar.

Sureshwar Mallick, an agricultural entrepreneur from Dumuria, Khulna, is being honoured. Using modern techniques he has grown three poison-free companion crops on the same land, making the best use of it. He won the Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award in 2017.

Md Ruhul Amin, owner of Green Planet Agro in Jibannagar, Chuadanga, has been selected as an AIP. As a young entrepreneur he has made an important contribution to the farm economy with modern strawberry, dragon fruit, guava and malta orchards, which have created jobs for unemployed young men and women.

Md Sakhawat Hossain of Raiganj, Sirajganj, has been nominated. He is chairman of Agro Based Socio Economical Development Services. As a member of the board of the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority he has played a role in agricultural development in the Barind region. By ending waterlogging across large areas of Tarash and Raiganj upazilas in Sirajganj, he turned uncultivated land into triple-cropped land.

Md Amirul Islam, a successful dairy farmer from Ishwardi, Pabna, is becoming an AIP. He received the Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award in 2012 and the National Cooperative Award in 2023.

Masudul Haque Chowdhury of Begumganj, Noakhali, is receiving the AIP honour for important contributions to agriculture through farm production, a commercial fish farm and agro-processing industry. He has also received the Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award.

Md Rafiqul Islam, an agricultural entrepreneur from Thakurgaon Sadar, has also been nominated in this category. He is a successful beekeeper and commercial producer of organic fertiliser. By bringing fallow land under cultivation he earned a total of Tk 10 lakh in the 2019-20 fiscal year.

Md Sirajul Islam Rekhon, another successful agricultural entrepreneur from Fenchuganj, Sylhet, is being honoured. By growing malta, Thai guava, mango, jackfruit, litchi, orange, sapodilla, jujube, vegetables and other cash crops commercially, he earned Tk 1 crore 36 lakh in the 2021 fiscal year.

In addition, Md Hazrat Ali of Sherpur, who earned Tk 15 crore 13 lakh from fruit farming in the 2021-22 fiscal year, has also been selected as an AIP.

K M Sabuj, a bonsai artist from Gazipur Sadar, is receiving the AIP honour in the "Production of exportable agricultural products" category. He is founding director of Living Art Garden. Sabuj has built a commercial bonsai nursery and exports bonsai. He has received the National Tree Plantation Award and a special honour from the SAARC Cultural Society.

Also selected in this category is Md Rafiqul Islam, an agricultural entrepreneur from Gomostapur, Chapainawabganj. He has become financially self-reliant by growing year-round mangoes. His farm earned about Tk 3 crore 74 lakh 96 thousand in 2021.

Media personality Shykh Seraj, managing director of the private television channel Channel i, has been selected in this category. He is receiving the honour for his important role in agricultural development in Bangladesh through planning, directing and presenting various agriculture programmes.

Sahela Abedin (Rima), an environmental organiser from Chattogram, is being honoured. Through her organisation "Tilottama Chattogram" she has set up about 200 rooftop gardens in Chattogram city. She has planted more than 3 lakh fruit, timber and medicinal trees in unused spaces at educational institutions and government and private offices.

Shikha Rani Chakraborty, a successful woman agricultural entrepreneur from Kalaroa, Satkhira, is also receiving the award in this category. The ministry says she has contributed by adopting various modern farm technologies extended by the agriculture department and spreading them among ordinary farmers.

Ram Niwas Agarwala, an organic fertiliser producer and researcher from Domar, Nilphamari, has been selected for the honour. Since 1995 he has been researching the development of organic fertiliser using improved earthworms and raw materials such as cow dung, water hyacinth, banana plants, straw, bone meal, horn meal, neem cake, soybean cake, sawdust and shell powder. He has received a gold medal in the Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award.

Maya Rani Baul, owner of Amit Dairy Farm in Kamalakanda, Nawabganj, is becoming an AIP. She is a successful commercial farmer and has received a gold medal in the Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award.

Md Abdul Khalek, a successful seed producer from Atghoria, Pabna, has been nominated in this category. He received the Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award for his outstanding contribution to seed production and conservation.

Under the Agriculturally Important Person Policy, 2019, the nominees will receive a certificate of appreciation from the ministry along with the AIP card. AIP status lasts one year (from July of the current year to June of the next).

AIPs will receive an entry pass to the Secretariat and invitations to various national events and to civic receptions by city and municipal corporations. They will get priority in seat reservations on government-run public transport by air, rail, road and water.

For an AIP's business or official travel abroad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will issue a letter of introduction to the relevant embassy for a visa. An AIP will get priority for cabin facilities at government hospitals for treatment of themselves, their spouse, children and parents, and may use VIP Lounge-2 at airports.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.