Massive employment created in private sector in 14 yrs: Razzaque

Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Friday said massive employment opportunities have been created in the private sector in the last 14 years due to time-befitting measures of the government to boost the sector.

"Creation of employment opportunity means creation in both government and private sectors. A massive number of people have been employed in the private sector, especially in agriculture," he said while replying to a question at a post-budget press briefing at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in the capital.

Razzaque said in the past the government had to spend a large amount on fertiliser, seeds and irrigation, but now wage of agricultural labourers is the major cost in the sector, as an agricultural labourer's wage is now around Tk 700-800.

The minister mentioned, "Fifteen or sixteen years ago, agricultural labourers had to work from dawn to dusk in the country but now none has to work in the field after 2pm. The Agricultural labourers had to face a lack of employment during the Bengali month of Kartik. They had to starve.

"But now the situation has changed. So, massive employments have been created in the private sector."

People are getting employed and they are receiving these works as a source of livelihood, he said.

The minister went on to say, "I went to a village of medicinal plants in Natore. I witnessed people working in an aloe vera field. I asked the workers how much wage they get per day. They said Tk 350. I asked how long you would work. They said they would work till 2pm.

"I asked why they would do it after 2pm. They said they would work on their own land or would pass the time at tea stalls. So, this is the situation now."

He said all should evaluate the country's economy and employment scenario considering these issues.

Replying to another question, the agriculture minister said before 2008 many people in the northern region had to starve.

"We often saw newspaper headlines that people were starving to death. But none died that way in the last 14 years," he said.

Razzaque, also Awami League (AL) praesidium member, said the AL government always formulates a budget considering the matters of poor people.

He said the allocation in the social safety net programme has increased a lot, as the government proposed an allocation of Tk 1,26,272 crore which was only around Tk 13,000 crore in 2009.

The minister said the government is providing daily essentials at subsidised rates to a huge number of people through the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).

He said the government will continue its efforts in the coming days so that none has to suffer for food.

Finance Minister Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Planning Minister MA Mannan, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, LGRD Minister Md Tazul Islam, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman, State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam, Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain, Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder, NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, Finance Division Senior Secretary Fatima Yasmin, ERD Secretary Sharifa Khan and Planning Division Secretary Satyajit Karmakar were also present at the press conference.

/KN/