Dhaka, April 14 -- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said Bangladesh will prosper only if its farmers prosper as he underlined agriculture's central role in the country's economy and the lives of its people.

Speaking on Tuesday at Shaheed Maruf Stadium in Tangail while formally inaugurating the pre-pilot phase of the Farmer Card programme, he said the government's goal was to make farmers self-reliant and prosperous, bdnews24.com reports.

"I personally believe, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party believes, and the current BNP government elected by the people of Bangladesh believes that if the farmers of this country prosper, if the farmers of this country live, if the farmers of this country thrive, then the entirety of Bangladesh will thr...