Dhaka: National Krishok Shakti has been formally launched as the farmers’ wing of the National Citizen Party (NCP), with the announcement of its partial central convening committee aimed at advocating for farmers’ rights. Saeed Ujjwal has been named convener, while agriculturist Ghulam Mortuza Selim has been appointed member secretary. Nafiul Islam has been made chief organiser, and Advocate Fakhruddin Ahmed Zaki and Md Abdul Aziz have been appointed senior joint conveners. Additionally, Mojibur Rahman Khokon and Md Rakibul Hasan Rana have been made senior joint member secretaries.

According to United News of Bangladesh, the organisation was launched at a farmers’ rally held at Togorai Hat High School in Kurigram Sadar, a venue associated with Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani. At the event, NCP Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam announced the partial committee. The rally was chaired by Kurigram-2 MP and NCP Joint Convener Dr Atik Mujahid and moderated by Ghulam Mortuza Selim. NCP Member Secretary and MP Akhtar Hossain addressed the gathering as the chief speaker, while Mother of July martyr Rajib, Jannatul Ferdous, and July movement participant Ariful Islam also spoke at the programme.

Reading out the organisation’s declaration, Convener Saeed Ujjwal stated that National Krishok Shakti would advance with the slogan “Krishoker Shokti, Jatiyo Mukti” (Farmers’ Strength, National Liberation). He emphasized that farmers are not merely food producers but are also the backbone of Bangladesh’s economy and one of the country’s principal political forces. Ujjwal referenced historical struggles such as the Indigo Revolt, the Fakir-Sannyasi Rebellion, Titumir’s Bamboo Fort movement, the Tonk Movement, the Krishak Praja Party, the Tebhaga Movement, and Maulana Bhashani’s peasant politics, all of which centered on land ownership, production rights, and farmers’ dignity. However, he lamented that after independence, farmers have been marginalized from political discourse and confined to production roles.

Ujjwal highlighted that ensuring the country’s food security is the responsibility of farmers, yet they lack effective representation in the formulation of agricultural, market, pricing, or land policies. He further explained that Bangladesh’s economy relies on three major labor forces: the labor of farmers in the fields, the labor of migrant workers, most of whom are farmers’ sons, and the labor of garment workers, many of whom are farmers’ daughters. Despite being the principal pillars of foreign exchange earnings, food security, and the national economy, rural farming communities remain among the most neglected in state policies and political power structures.

At the rally, Member Secretary Ghulam Mortuza Selim presented a 14-point Farmers’ Rights Charter. The charter calls for constitutional recognition of farmers as a political community and national force, effective political representation at national and local levels, and fair pricing for agricultural products based on production costs, labor, and reasonable profit. It also demands direct government procurement of farm produce, measures against market syndicates and middlemen, universal agricultural insurance to compensate for climate-related losses, region-based agricultural policies, and stronger protection of indigenous seeds to reduce dependence on multinational companies.

The charter further calls for affordable access to quality seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, electricity, diesel, and agricultural machinery, strict action against adulterated farm inputs, establishment of modern cold storage facilities, warehouses, collection centers, and processing units, and a state-supported marketing system enabling farmers to sell directly in the market.