Investment in foreign farms
A window of opportunity opens
THE news that two Bangladeshi firms have leased in large chunks of farmlands in Africa to grow rice, wheat and other kinds of food grains is very heartening. First because, it is indicative of our local entrepreneurs' coming of age as they are now looking for overseas investments. Second, they have chosen agricultural farmlands as the area of investment. Third, their objective is to bring the lion's share of the produces back home with a view to reducing our growing dependence on food grains import. Above all, it is thinking out of box and looking for new pastures.
The government's support to facilitate those companies in signing lease deals with the African governments--Uganda and Tanzaniais undoubtedly commendable. It is further reassuring to learn that more entrepreneurs from Bangladesh are looking for similar investment opportunities in Africa.
African countries hold out huge prospects for overseas investment in the farming sector. Many countries including China that have the necessary capital and expertise have taken hold of the opportunity earlier than others. Bangladeshi investors' entry into this area is evidently reflective of their growing capital that can be invested abroad as well as the attainment of the expertise that goes into such ventures.
The African countries like Uganda and Tanzania that are wooing foreign investment in the farm sector on easy and lucrative terms, definitely want to see their own manpower employed in agriculture. Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, on their part, will be able to make profits, help the country in addressing its growing demands for food grains as well as enrich their experience and knowledge profusely in food grain production in different other climes. This will no doubt go to add to Bangladesh's own wealth of research experience in agriculture.
To succeed, the companies that have pioneered in this kind of overseas investment, hopefully, will also learn to adapt and associate themselves well with the local people and their culture with due respect. Since it is a very potential sector meriting extensive exploration, the government needs to continue its encouragement and support to the willing entrepreneurs.
Pak scientist's irreverence
Highly condemnable
THE recent article by Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan carried in the Newsweek, excerpted in our paper yesterday on the basis of an AFP Washington dateline story has caught our attention. It says that if Pakistan had nukes in 1971 Bangladesh would not have won its independence. This is a rabid expression of insensitivity towards a people's war waged against a genocidal force in 1971.
His remarks demonstrate a very poor knowledge of history of the events that led to the war of liberation against Pakistan occupation forces in 1971.
His observation is not only far removed from the contextual reality but also echoes the views of the prejudiced segment of the Pakistani population.
To our knowledge, many among the intelligentsia in Pakistan have long since spurned any self-deceiving notion against Bangladesh's freedom struggle.
While emphasizing Pakistan's case for going nuke in a foreign weekly magazine, he had no business of undermining Bangladesh's liberation war.
It is a crude attempt to denigrate not only the legitimate struggle of freedom loving people of Bangladesh but also a revelation of a convoluted mindset.
Besides, his pointer to Bangladesh is entirely misplaced because if
nuclear might could decide fate of freedom struggle or right to independence, Soviet Russia could still remain in Afghanistan and Vietnam should have been under US occupation forces till today.
A man who has been infamously involved in nuke-secrets black marketing cannot be credited with any high sense of ethics.
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