Ripe paddy on at least three acres belonging to two farmers in Lakshmipur has been cut and carried to their homes. Activists working on the initiative of Bayezid Bhuiyan, former joint convener of the district Jubo League, harvested the fields of farmers Hossain Ahammed and Safayet Ullah.

The harvest took place from morning to midday on Thursday (27 April) in the Enayetpur area of Lamchar union in Ramganj upazila.

Locals said intense heat and a shortage of labourers had left Hossain Ahammed and Safayet Ullah unable to cut their ripe paddy, and most farmers in the area are worried about the same problem. On hearing of it, Bayezid, carrying out a directive from the central Jubo League, went with party activists to cut the two farmers' paddy, and the crop was then taken to their homes with the activists' help.

According to Bayezid Bhuiyan, the prime minister has instructed party activists to cut and thresh paddy for helpless farmers. The central Jubo League therefore issued a call to its activists on 25 April. Responding to that call from Jubo League chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and general secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, activists across the country have started work, and the Jubo League will continue the programme until the Boro crop is brought in.

Farmer Hossain Ahammed said labourers do not want to work in the fierce sun, and those who are willing ask for higher wages. Paying those wages to have his paddy cut would make it impossible to turn a profit. The paddy should have been cut several days earlier, he said, but it could not be done. Local people told Jubo League leader Bayezid Bhuiyan about the situation, and he came with activists, cut the paddy and delivered it to his home.

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