Dragon fruit traders and farmers from five districts formed a human chain in Jibannagar, Chuadanga, demanding action against YouTubers they accuse of spreading propaganda about the fruit.

The programme was held at 11am on Monday (25 December) in front of the open stage at the Jibannagar bus stand.

Several hundred traders and farmers from Chuadanga, Meherpur, Jhenaidah, Kushtia and Jashore took part, carrying festoons and banners with various slogans.

Speakers said: "We produce these fruits for people. If the pesticides we use in growing fruit are harmful to the human body, let the agriculture department or the health department inform us. Let them tell us which pesticides to use. But YouTubers are not experts. How can they say that the tonics used on dragon fruit are harmful to the body?"

They said a group was spreading propaganda on Facebook and YouTube to crash the dragon fruit market. Because of it, the country's dragon fruit farmers and traders are suffering losses and demand for the fruit has fallen sharply. They demanded action to stop the propaganda and that those behind it be identified and brought to justice.

Bakul, convener of the Jibannagar upazila pesticide committee, said: "We do not sell the Indian hormone (tonic) that is being talked about. We sell hormones approved by the government of Bangladesh. They contain no harmful ingredients."

Others who spoke included Jibannagar Degree College lecturer Jasimuddin; Shah Alam, president of the Jibannagar municipal Jubo League and a fruit farmer; Shariful Islam; Chhoto Babu; young entrepreneur Ruhul Amin Riton; farmer Ramzan; Rajedul Islam; and Abdul Aziz Prodhan.

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