ZCZC
BSS-04
PM-DAY-COOPERATIVES
PM calls for strengthening cooperatives movement
DHAKA, Nov 25, 2018 (BSS)-Laying importance on strengthening cooperative
movement across the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said
cooperatives are a tested strategy to expedite economic development.
“Cooperatives have a great and potential strength in our development
efforts. However, the movement should be expanded to the agriculture sector
to safeguard food security of the country,” she said.
The prime minister was inaugurating the programmes of the 47th National
Cooperative Day and distributing National Cooperative Award 2016 and 2017 at
Bangabandhu International Convention Center here.
Sheikh Hasina underlined importance of more involvement of womenfolk with
the cooperatives to expedite country’s economic progress as well as
empowerment of women.
A total of 20 cooperative societies in different categories received the
National Cooperative Award from the prime minister on the occasion held under
the auspices of the Department of Cooperatives under the Ministry of LGRD and
Cooperatives
“Cooperative is a philosophy. It’s a tested strategy for socio-economic
development. In the cooperative-based development process, discrimination
decreases, so development is balanced and sustainable,” the prime minister
said.
Around the globe, about three million cooperative societies with more than
one billion members have adopted cooperative techniques as a strategic tool
for socio-economic development, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said cooperative was the tool for fulfilling the dream of the
Father of the Nation. Bangabandhu wanted to expand cooperative-based
production and distribution management in all sectors.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, State Minister
Moshiur Rahman Ranga attended the function as special guests while secretary
of rural development and cooperatives Md. Kamal Uddin Talukder was in the
chair.
President of Bangladesh Cooperative Union Sheikh Nadir Hossain Lipu spoke,
among others, on the occasion while registrar of cooperatives and director
general of department of cooperatives Md. Abdul Mazid gave the welcome
address.
Sheikh Hasina said in the Article 13 of the constitution Bangabandhu had
incorporated the cooperative system as the secondary way of ownership.
Bangabandhu had initiated agricultural cooperatives, fishery cooperatives,
weavers’ cooperatives and industrial cooperatives for socio-economic
development of the people of those occupations.
Milk Vita is one of the best examples of national level cooperatives in
Bangladesh, she said adding that the government has a plan to expand the
cooperatives of animal husbandry and dairy farming under public and private
sector across the country.
Sheikh Hasina said her government, in its development process, is giving
utmost importance to rural development and cooperatives.
Reduction of urban migration by creating more employment opportunities in
the rural areas is also one of the main objectives of her government’s rural
development priority, she said.
The government has distributed more than Taka 103 crore through the
Cooperative Department for carrying out different income generating
activities, she said.
Based on cooperative philosophy of poverty alleviation, ‘One-House One
Farm’ project is being implemented at a cost of Tk 8,127 crore.
Under this project, 82, 395 village development societies have been formed
in 87 thousand villages, she added.
Beneficiaries of this project are gradually becoming self-reliant after
getting training and credit facilities on various income generating trades,
she said adding that Palli Sanchay Bank is a best example of cooperatives of
the rural people.
Sheikh Hasina said the government is implementing the ‘Comprehensive
Village Development Project’ for the development of village based cooperative
societies at a cost of over Taka three billions.
Under this project, cooperative members are being provided with
appropriate training and cooperative societies are being used as platforms
for all services of nation-building organizations.
Development of backward population of the community is one of the
priorities of the government. With this goal, we are implementing various
projects by organizing these people through the Cooperative Department, she
said.
The prime minister said three development projects have been implemented
since 2009 through the `Small Farmer Development Foundation’. As a result,
the activities of this organization have spread over 174 upazilas and the
number of beneficiaries increased by 1, 64,180, she said.
Currently there are about 1, 74,000 cooperative societies in Bangladesh
having 10.9 million members. The total working capital of these cooperative
societies is about Taka 135.80 billion. The number of jobs generated through
cooperatives is about 0.9 million.
The prime minister said women consist only 18 percent of the total members
of the cooperatives in the country. So their number in the cooperatives
movement must be increased, she said.
The prime minister highlighted the socioeconomic development of the
country over the last 10 years saying the development was possible due to the
continuation of the Awami League government.
Mass people are getting benefit from this development, she said. She said
poverty rate has been dropped from 31.5 percent in 2010 to 21.8 percent in
2018. Per capita income rose to US $ 1,751. The average life expectancy of
the people has increased to above 72 years.
“The ongoing development must be continued to materialize the vision of
making a developed Bangladesh by 2041. Bangladesh is going forward and it
should continue. No one can stop this progress,” Sheikh Hasina said.
She wanted all out cooperation of everybody to achieve sustainable
development goals (SDGs) by 2030 saying SDGs would be the foundation of
building Bangladesh as a self-respecting developed country by 2041.
Earlier, the prime minister visited different stalls set up by cooperative
societies on the BCCI premises on the occasion.
In the morning, a rally led by LGRD secretary was brought out from Sher-e-
Bangla Nagar in the city.
BSS/AKH/AKM 1315hrs