PM calls on private sector to meet local demand and export meat

The premier makes the call at the inaugural ceremony of the two-day Livestock Services Week and Exhibition-2024

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the private sector to further develop the livestock sector to meet local demand and also export meat.

The premier made the call at the inaugural ceremony of the two-day Livestock Services Week and Exhibition-2024 at the capital’s Agargaon on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, Hasina said, “In 1973, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman imported better quality cattle from Australia and introduced the artificial breeding of livestock. If the Father of the Nation was alive, Bangladesh could have turned into a developed country long ago. But, unfortunately, those who came to power repeatedly violated the Constitution illegally and did not take any steps to change the fate of the people.”

“We formed the government in 1996 amid a food deficit of 4,000,000 metric tonnes. The livestock required food. The foreign currency reserves were too small and inflation was high. We started our journey amid a food crisis in Asia with the goal that we would not get hand-outs from anyone, but instead produce our own food.”

The premier said, “On the day I announced in parliament that Bangladesh is self-sufficient in food, BNP chief Khaleda Zia was sitting in the chair as an opposition leader along with former finance minister M Saifur Rahman who got up and said it is not good to be self-sufficient in food as we would stop getting aid. Their thinking was that we would constantly reach out to others and beg for food”.

"Compare that to how the Father of the Nation compared our soil to gold and advised us to produce crops. Now, we have 2,600,000 metric tonnes of food surplus while the food deficit was more than 2,600,000 metric tonnes in 2009."

“Today we have received the status of a developing country, which will start in 2026. In the meantime, we have to ensure food and health security for all. We need livestock for that to ensure protein. We will produce our own meat and give it to our people to meet the demand,” she said.

“Our first target is to ensure food security and the second one is ensuring nutrition. Now we have taken steps for the latter.”

Calling upon the private sector to move forward to export animal meat, the prime minister said, “Many countries around the world would like to buy halal meat, slaughtered according to Islamic norms, and we will have to grab this opportunity. If we want to take that opportunity, we have to take into consideration how our livestock, animals, and poultry are nurtured, slaughtered, whether it is done healthily or not, how many rules they have for exporting abroad.”

“I want the private sector to come forward. I want to see the private sector as entrepreneurs and an increase in employment."