Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) chief executive and Supreme Court lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan commented that Bangladesh has become an experiment ground for multinational companies.
Stating that the multinational companies are working to take agriculture away from us and from the farmers, she said, the multinational companies sought approval of genetically modified brinjal in 3 countries. The countries are - India, Philippines and Bangladesh. India did not approve but Bangladesh did. Now multinational companies are seeking permission from Golden Rice. Nature is being oppressed by political economic considerations.
She said these things at a discussion meeting on the urgent issue of GM crops, golden rice and Bt brinjal: Resolving the necessary issues in Bangladesh introduction at Tafazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall of the National Press Club on Monday (May 6).
Farida Akhtar, executive director of the non-governmental organization UBINIG (Policy Research on Development Options), said that the health and environmental risks of golden rice as a GM crop, its effectiveness and whether there is any need for this rice at all have not yet been answered. We thank the Ministry of Environment for taking time to consider its safety aspects and not yet giving approval. But companies and entrepreneurs are chasing it. They want to influence the government directly.
She also said that golden rice is controversial all over the world. It was said to have been approved in the Philippines but has now been revoked and Filipino farmers have launched a massive movement against it. So there is no point in giving approval to Bangladesh by taking the example of Philippines. Most of the farmers in Bangladesh cultivate BRI 29. There are no patents. The farmer keeps the seeds himself or buys them from the market. They can cultivate this paddy independently. So what will happen to the fate of millions of farmers in Bangladesh if the ownership of this rice goes to a foreign company? The Ministry of Agriculture must answer this question. The Ministry of Agriculture's job is to look after the interests of Bangladesh's agriculture and farmers, not the interests of companies.
Speakers raised various questions to the government in the interest of the people before introducing controversial GM crops in Bangladesh.
>> Is there any need at all to introduce golden rice paddy and Bt. brinjal in agricultural diversification countries?
>> Whether Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) have any data on the potential environmental, health and other risks of GM crops, scientists worldwide have agreed.
>> Why is the production of vitamin A rich vegetables, fruits, greens, etc. not being supported in the country instead of introducing golden rice on the pretext of vitamin A deficiency?
If the patent of BRRI 29 is given to the Syngenta company, will not the right of billions of farmers of the country to cultivate this variety of rice be undermined? Why is this rice given to multinational companies?
But brinjal is being introduced on the pretext of reducing pesticide use, while pesticides and herbicides are widely used in all types of hybrid crops, from rice? Why are they not being stopped?
Federation President Badrul Alam, Chief Executive of Citizen Initiatives Zakir Hossain and Executive Director of Anti-GM Morcha Ibnul Sayed Rana also spoke at the discussion meeting.