Bangladesh: Char lands in Tangail make poor farmers self-reliant

A few upazilas of Tangail district are surrounded by the Jamuna and Dhaleshwari rivers. Once the Jamuna and Dhaleshwari rivers were mighty. At present, many sandy chars have emerged on the rivers. The chars remained fallow for many years. But now the chars give a spectacular look as different crops like paddy, maize, vegetables, and groundnut are seen from a far distance. The main portion of Nagorpur upazila surrounded by the Jamuna and Dhaleshwari is char land. There is a vast tract of char land from Shahjani to Khogenghat. Local farmers and landless ultra-poor people are cultivating groundnut on the char land. Local farmers' sources said groundnut cultivation is easier. People plough the land once or twice and after that, they spread the seeds. There is no need for irrigation and fertiliser or insecticide. As the market price of groundnut is good, it is a profitable crop for the farmers. Ayub Ali, a farmer of Shahajani village under Nagorpur upazila, said he cultivated groundnut ...