Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salauddin Tuku on Thursday said the government is working to improve the economic condition of marginalised communities and make them self-reliant through targeted livestock sector development.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists during a visit to the regional centre of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) at Naikhongchhari in Bandarban.
The state minister said initiatives have been taken to utilise the livestock sector more effectively to improve the livelihoods of low-income and marginal farmers.
He said the Naikhongchhari livestock farm was originally established at the initiative of former President Ziaur Rahman, with a focus on conserving gayal and distributing livestock among people in the hill tracts.
The government is now working to expand and modernise the initiative, he added.
Tuku said goats and sheep have already been distributed among farmers, while further research-based programmes are underway to support small-scale livestock producers.
He also said that lack of proper maintenance and management in previous years had limited the farm’s potential, adding that the current government will take steps to upgrade and modernise the facility.
“If marginalised people can rear goats, sheep, cattle or poultry around their homes, they can generate income and become self-reliant. Ensuring that self-sufficiency is our main goal,” he said.
He also called for collective efforts to build a prosperous and self-reliant Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Earlier, the state minister visited various facilities at the BLRI regional centre, including the gayal shed, deer shed and Black Bengal goat shed, and instructed officials to increase the number of gayals and improve livestock management systems.
Later, he distributed poultry, goats and sheep among local farmers.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, department heads, and local farmers were present during the visit.
