Bangladesh’s farming history

 

Bangladesh’s farming history

Old Lavani introduced the history and culture of Bangladesh to Agudumba. He also talked to Agudemba about the local farming history and current situation.

Bangladesh borders Myanmar to the southeast, India to the east, west and north, and the Bay of Bengal to the south. More than 80% of the territory is located in the delta formed by the impact of the lower reaches of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers in the northeastern part of the South Asian subcontinent. It is a fertile, flat alluvial plain with densely crisscrossed river channels and developed river transportation. Rivers and lakes account for approximately the entire country's area. 10%, very suitable for agriculture and fishing, but prone to flooding during the rainy season.

There are many small islands and sandbars along the coast of Bangladesh. If most of the country is below 12 meters above sea level, about 10% of the land will be submerged. The southeastern end is the Chittagong Hill Tracts, with an average altitude of 300-600 meters. The highest peak in Bangladesh, Keokla East Peak, is 1,229 meters high and is located just in this geographical area. The mineral deposits here include natural gas, coal, titanium, zirconium, etc.

The landscape of Bangladesh is dominated by plains, covering 90% of the country and occupying the eastern two-thirds of the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta plain. In addition to plains, rivers, lakes, swamps, and wetlands constitute the topographic features of Bangladesh that include land and water. Rivers are the most important geographical feature of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has the third highest water outflow in the world, after the Amazon River System and the Congo River System.

Old Lavani introduced the climate of Bangladesh to Agudumba.

Most areas of Bangladesh have a tropical monsoon climate. The monsoon is unstable and prone to droughts and floods. The annual precipitation is about 1,300-1,500 mm in the west and 2,000-2,500 mm in the east. The average monthly maximum temperature is 40.5°C, and the rainfall increases from west to east, with the annual rainfall ranging from 1,300 to 2,500 mm. The temperature is the lowest in January and drought occurs from January to April. June to October is the rainy season, with rainfall accounting for 80% of the year. There are hurricanes blowing from the Indian Ocean all year round.

Since the north of Bangladesh is the Tibetan Plateau with an average altitude of more than 3,000 meters, and the east is quite close to the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau with an altitude of more than 1,000 meters. Both are vast plateaus. Therefore, the cold air from central Asia in the northern hemisphere every winter is difficult to move southward. China is also warmer than East Asia at the same latitude.

Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate, with warm and humid weather all year round and huge seasonal rainfall. Bangladesh's natural environment is suitable for rice cultivation. Therefore, Bangladesh's ancient agriculture was mainly based on rice, and it was the first to grow rice in the world. one of the regions. The geographical environment and climatic conditions of Bangladesh are suitable for the development of agriculture, so agriculture became the main economic activity of ancient Bangladesh. However, due to the climatic conditions here, natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes often occur, which have caused great losses to the lives and property of the people of Bangladesh.

Agudumba asked: "Mr. Rawani, agricultural development in Bangladesh is mainly economic activities. How do they manage it?"

Old Lavani said to Agudengba:

In terms of the social structure of ancient Bangladesh, the relationship between landowners and cultivators played a key role in the formation of an agricultural social structure due to its geographical location and climatic conditions suitable for rice cultivation. This land management system is called "jamindari" or "zamindari", in which land property rights are changed to limited privatization, and the surrounding poor residents can only make a living through leasing land or engaging in wage labor. In this social structure, the difference between the aristocracy and the civilian class is also obvious. The aristocracy owns more land and resources and enjoys higher social status and privileges.

Old Lavani sighed:

Bangladesh is included in the list of least developed countries by the United Nations. It has now met the three criteria for graduation from the least developed countries and is in the transition period of review to become a developing country.

Old Lavani said again:

At present, the textile industry and garment manufacturing industry are the pillar industries of Bangladesh's economic development. Bangladesh is the world's second largest garment exporter after China. Since its development in the 1980s, garment exports have accounted for more than 80% of Bangladesh's exports for many years, with the main export destinations being the United States and the European Union. The jute here is also one of Bangladesh's most important economic export crops. In addition, it also exports rice, tea, mustard, etc.

Old Lavani accompanied Agudengba and said: When we came to a farmland, we saw no farmers working in the farmland, but there was a burst of desolate and sad and angry singing. The old man Lavani said that it was a new rural ballad "Confusion" compiled by local netizens.

                                       

Forget the hardships of getting up in the morning and returning home in the evening

Forget about the fatigue of working day and night

 

Facing the loess with bare feet

Bend over and bend your knees with your back to the blue sky

Working in the fields in the wind and rain

Praying for a good harvest and no bad years

Spring and summer are full of hope

Autumn and winter see through life and death

The results of hard work are nothing

All wealth gains were deprived

 

Forget the polarization between rich and poor

Forget whether fate is predetermined

 

Seeing flowers in the mist and being confused all your life

Caste system divides people into hierarchies

The rich and powerful drank until they were drunk

Let others trample on you

There is no difference between east and west

South and North are all the same

The untouchables turned over and gave up hope.

Everyone is equal is a lie