Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Atiur Rahman has said the fates of the farmers should be changed first for attaining the country's sustainable development.

Terming the farmers a lifeline of the country's economy, Rahman called upon all for coming forward to ensure and preserve interests and rights of the farmers in building a developed Bangladesh.

He was addressing a farmers' gathering and loan distribution ceremony on Friday night, jointly arranged by National Bank and Manoharpur Integrated Crop Management (ICM) Club at Manoharpur High School ground here.

Chaired by Tauhidul Islam Tuhin, president of Manoharpur ICM Club, the occasion was addressed by farmers Fazlur Rahman and Gulshan Ara Begum and Gangachara Upazila Chairman Majibar Rahman Pramanik.

Illias Sikder, general manager of BB's Rangpur branch, and Bodiul Alam, National Bank's additional managing director, and Hasanur Rahman, deputy director of Rangpur DAE, also spoke.

The speakers put emphasis on providing adequate easy and soft-term farm loans and latest technologies to the farmers to raise farm output.

Later, the central bank chief distributed checks for agri-loans and cows among 10 member- farmers of Manoharpur ICM Club under the initiative of Rangpur branch of National Bank.

Source: Bss, Rangpur