Awami League leaders and activists have cut a farmer's paddy and brought it home in Gobindaganj, Gaibandha. On Wednesday (26 April), 120 activists led by upazila Awami League president and upazila chairman Abdul Latif Prodhan cut the paddy and delivered it to the farmer's home.

Locals said upazila Awami League activists cut the paddy on 33 decimals of land belonging to a farmer named Saheda Begum of Chandpur Singa village in Rakhalburuj union and took it to her home.

Those present included Gaibandha district Jubo League assistant secretary Kaiser Ali Sumon, upazila Jubo League general secretary Anwar Hossain Thandu, Gobindaganj municipal Jubo League convener Jahangir Alam Mintu, upazila Chhatra League joint convener Shafiul Alam Hiru and Harirampur union Awami League vice-president Nurunnabi Dipti.

Saheda Begum, a housewife, said: "The paddy on just 33 decimals has ripened, but I cannot find any labourers to cut it, and labour is expensive. The Gobindaganj upazila Awami League president heard about this and had my paddy cut. I am grateful to them. If ordinary farmers' paddy is cut like this, many farmers will benefit."

Upazila Awami League president and upazila parishad chairman Abdul Latif Prodhan said the upazila Awami League had cut, threshed and brought home farmers' paddy in response to Sheikh Hasina's instruction. "We will stand by farmers throughout the harvest season. Wherever we hear that farmers cannot cut their paddy because of the labour shortage, we will rush there," he said.

Many farmers are in difficulty over the harvest because of labour and financial shortages, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called on party activists to stand by them.

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