Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has appealed to the nation to come out of confrontational politics for peace.

He was speaking as the chief guest at a function to inaugurate New Holland brand of tractors at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) today.

The meeting was chaired by director of Greenland Technologies Ltd, K M Mobarak Hossain. Others who spoke on the occasion included Brad Stilwell of the US embassy and Ashok Ananthraman.

The minister said that despite the paucity of arable land, the government by providing subsidies to fertilizer, irrigation and farming had created awareness among farmers to use modern technology and create a revolution in agriculture.

He said that agricultural production was so bountiful now because of appropriate government policies that after meeting the national requirement of 16 crore people the country, for the first time, was exporting rice.

The minister said that during the military rule of Ziaur Rahman and Ershad 80 per cent of the country's development needs were financed by foreign funds. But over the time it had changed and the current government by using digital technology had brought the country out of this syndrome.

He said that the lack of continuity in policies with the change of government led to setbacks in agricultural production in the past.

"Governments will change but why should the process of development be compromised," the minister asked.

Entrepreneurs informed that Greenland Technologies, a subsidiary of GATCO Group of Companies, was marketing the famous New Holland tractors of the USA. The tractors are manufactured in India under license.