Fisheries and livestock adviser Farida Akhter on Tuesday said that agricultural land in Bangladesh was rapidly decreasing due to a combination of urbanisation, industrialisation, and unplanned development.
The adviser was speaking as the chief guest at a workshop on 鈥楢gricultural Land Protection and Land Use鈥�, organised by the Bangladesh Agroecology Platform at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka, said a press release.
鈥楾he problem is multifaceted. The rapid decrease in land is compounded by environmental damage. Chemical-based agriculture is destroying soil fertility and hindering overall agricultural production. New diseases and pests are emerging due to the harmful effects of climate change,鈥� she said.
Farida highlighted that the excessive use of herbicides alongside pesticides was causing severe harm not only to farmland but also to the fisheries and livestock sectors.
Secretary of fisheries and livestock ministry Abu Taher Muhammad Zaber attended the event as the special guest while director of the policy research for development alternatives Jahangir Alam Joni chaired it.