Agriculture and Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Wednesday said that appointment of project directors will strictly be based on merit and competence, warning that any form of lobbying will be considered disqualification.

“Regarding appointment of project directors, many officials try to use different channels for lobbying. Let me be clear, any kind of lobbying will be treated as disqualification,” he said while speaking at a project evaluation meeting organised by the Ministry of Agriculture at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) auditorium in the capital.

He said that project directors will be appointed based on merit and qualifications.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the adviser spoke on agriculture-focused projects, rice prices and the government's stance on tackling corruption.

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He said discussions were held on the benefits of farmers expecting to get from the projects completed in June.

“Initiatives are also underway to conserve rainwater, excavate canals, establish air-flow based storage facilities for onions, set up mini cold storages for seasonal vegetables and construct dedicated cold storages for seed potatoes,” he added.

The agriculture adviser mentioned that he instructed project directors to take measures to protect topsoil, reduce the use of fertilisers and refrain from constructing infrastructures by destroying agricultural land.

He also warned against corruption in project procurement.

Referring to rice prices, Jahangir Alam said that despite good domestic production and imports, prices remain high in the market. "The government is making efforts to bring the prices under control. Support from the media is crucial in this regard," he noted.

Regarding corruption, he said although the government is yet to fully curb irregularities, there will be zero tolerance. “No one will be spared,” the adviser warned.