No roof, no garden: Agriculture Department organisesd roof garden training in Sonagazi
Kawsar Mahmud, Sonagazi (Feni)
A day-long training workshop on rooftop gardening was held in Sonagazi, Feni, organized by the Department of Agricultural Extension in a modern and scientific manner with the funding of the Annual Development Program (ADP) in the fiscal year 2024-25.
Before the workshop, the Facebook ID used by the Sonagazi Upazila Agriculture Officer called on those who have rooftop gardens to register for the training along with three pictures of their rooftop gardens. Those who do not have rooftop gardens in that post were also urged to skip the post and suggest the names of those who have comparatively large rooftop gardens.
Despite the appeal made in the Facebook post, the reality is different. A total of 50 people participated in the rooftop gardening training workshop held on June 25 and 26 (Wednesday-Thursday) in two phases. Most of those who participated do not have rooftop gardens. In addition, several people do not have a garden, let alone a roof. Yet they also participated in the rooftop gardening training workshop.
When contacted, several people who participated in the training despite not having a roof or garden said on condition of anonymity told The Country Today that they had included our names for the training themselves due to their good relations with the people at the agricultural office. They also said that if they had known that those who do not have a roof or garden would not be able to participate in the training, they would not have participated in the training.
Despite the lack of roof gardens and roofs, a person named Mizanur Rahman expressed his anger on Facebook with pictures of participants in the training workshop, saying, "There are many such projects that do not benefit farmers. They are just wasting state money. They end their duties with a few tasty talks and responsible statements. In reality, no one practices these things. Officials and employees are limited to holding these workshops once a year."
A person named Abdur Razzak said, "The people of the agriculture office do not have any relationship with anyone except certain people, they avoid farmers, and give those who are not farmers the opportunity to participate in various workshops because of their relationship. They also give them various incentives including seeds, fertilizers, and trees. They deprive real farmers of these opportunities."
A person named Wahid Ullah said, "Sonagazi's agricultural officials distribute agricultural cards to political leaders. Due to the insincerity of the agricultural officials and the lack of necessary steps, our farmers are turning away from agriculture."
Sonagazi Upazila Agriculture Officer Main Uddin Ahmed denied the issue of training and encouraging people to choose their own. He said that people who do not have a roof and garden should also take training on roof gardening, and that those who have received training will be encouraged to garden later. He skillfully avoided the reporter's question whether his Facebook status, stating that only those who have a roof garden will be trained, contradicts reality.
