Speakers at the seminar said lack of proper management and implementation of haor development policy is preventing effective utilisation of the resources hidden away in the haor regions.

They said it is impossible to imagine the extent of the haors' riches while sitting in cities.

Veteran journalist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury urged to use the haors' potential for agricultural land.

The seminar was organised by Nagorik Sanghati at the National Press Club in the city in association with ActionAid, Bangladesh.

Speaking as keynote speaker, Mostafa Zabbar said national policy makers have hitherto neglected any serious discussion on developing haor regions' resources even though use of its resources would benefit the whole nation as well as poor inhabitants of haors.

Other speakers pointed out continued drawbacks of the tradition of leasing out land, and also potential benefits from agri-based development, and improving the haors' monga and unemployment problem.

The seminar was presided by Nagorik Sanghati President ASM Atikur Rahman, and addressed among others by President of Bangladesh Economic Association Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed, journalists Hasan Shahriar and Pir Habibur Rahman, former secretaries Mahmudul Hasan and MA Mannan, Haor Development Board's Director General Enamul Haq, and ActionAid's R Mosabber Hossain.