DHAKA, Jan 17, 2019 (BSS) – LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tajul Islam
today underscored the need for reviving cooperatives system that was taken as
a movement for economic emancipation by Bangabandhu to build a developed and
prosperous country.
“Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had adopted cooperatives system as a
movement for economic emancipation. Cooperatives system should be revitalised
to build an advanced and prosperous Bangladesh,” he told a view-exchange with
Bangladesh Samabaya Bank Limited officials at its office in city’s Motijheel
area.
Tajul said at present cooperatives system is not getting mass attention,
although it was popular in the past.
Vowing to overhaul the cooperatives system for proper empowerment and
ensuring accountability, he said: “It is possible to further boost up rural
economy through cooperatives as the pastoral people are potential ones.”
The minister said rural economy will be further accelerated through
providing short- and medium-term loans among the members of cooperatives.
He urged Bangladesh Samabaya Bank to lead the cooperatives’ activities
from the forefront.
State Minister for LRRD and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharya, Rural
Development and Cooperatives Division Secretary Md Kamal Uddin Talukder and
Bangladesh Samabaya Bank Limited Chairman Md Mohiuddin Ahmed were present on
the occasion.
The meeting was told that since its inception in 1972 in the name of
Bangladesh Jatiya Samabaya Bank, Samabaya Bank has been providing short-
medium and long-term loans among farmers under cooperatives across the
country.
The bank has distributed around Taka 67.49 crore as agriculture loans
among 36,000 members of 1,780 cooperatives associations throughout the
country.
Besides, with a view to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and alleviating poverty, Samabaya Bank provided around Taka 17.43
crore loans among 4125 members of 109 cooperatives associations in different
productive sectors, including small business, fisheries, rearing of hens,
ducks and cows, vegetable farming, tea production, processing of agricultural
products and solar and ICT projects.