Dhaka: Food Ministry Adviser Ali Imam Majumdar has emphasized the critical need for a legal framework to safeguard the country's diminishing farmlands, ensuring they remain dedicated to agriculture. This measure aims to prevent the conversion of arable land for housing, industrial, or commercial purposes, thus securing food security for future generations.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Majumdar made these remarks while presiding over a meeting to discuss the draft of the "Land Zoning and Agricultural Land Protection Ordinance 2025" at the Land Ministry in Dhaka. The government has drafted a new ordinance proposing that 80% of Bangladesh's current farmland be conserved exclusively for agricultural use, prohibiting any alternative usage unless officially approved.
The Land Adviser stressed that protecting farmland is synonymous with protecting the environment. He noted that farmlands are frequently repurposed for factories and brick kilns without proper authorization. "It will be possible to stop such acts if there could have been a specific law," Majumdar stated.
The meeting was attended by other notable advisers, including Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.