Archive for the ‘Economy’ Category

Govt steps required to turn Rangpur division into leading economic region

Courtesy The Financial Express

RANGPUR, Mar 19 (BSS): Experts, politicians and academicians have stressed the need for paying maximum importance to ensuring proper utilisation of a large number of human and natural resources and agriculture sector of the newly formed Rangpur division.

Rangpur division has the brightest prospects in becoming the country’s economic backbone if its gigantic natural resources could be explored, human resources utilised and due attention were paid to the prospective agriculture sector, they said.

They said that the region, having a large number of mineral resources and enormous economic prospects, was not paid due administrative and political attention that put its people in poverty and economically backward due to the discriminations for decades.

Rangpur division produces huge quantities of surplus foods and meets the country’s food demand, will now get due administrative attention towards attaining sustainable development in all sectors, they said.

The present pro-people government has fulfilled the long- cherished demand of the people of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur making them grateful to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The politicians and academicians told the news agency that people remained neglected for decades due to regional and political discrimination to the region despite its vast contribution to meet the national food demand.

“If the natural resources including coal are explored, power stations set up, natural gas supplied and gigantic manpower utilised, Rangpur division will soon emerge as the most industrialised and developed region to steering the country’s economy,” they said.

Besides, the new division will change the socio-economic scenario, communications, international trade and commerce with the neighbouring countries, expedite poverty eradication, increase agro- productions and boost industrialisation, they added.

The politicians, socio-cultural activists, business community leaders, elite, public representatives, farmers, housewives, students, labourers, NGO executives, teachers, commoners and professionals expressed their gratitude for making Rangpur division.

They thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for fulfilling the long-cherished demand of the people by realising its another pre-poll pledge by making Rangpur a division and taking speedy steps for activating the division very soon.

Convener of district Awami League (AL) Abul Mansur Ahmed, joint conveners Advocate Rezaul Karim Raju and Mosaddek Hossain Bablu, AL leaders Safia Khanom and Tauhidur Rahman were also seeing brighter prospects of Rangpur division.

Convener of Rangpur Swechchha Sebok League Moazzem Hossain Lablu, Chhatra League (BCL) vice-president Jashem Bin Hossain Jummon, BCL leaders Saiful Islam, Rashedunnabi Jewell, also expressed their views.

Former State Minister and AL Treasurer HN Ashikur Rahman MP, AL central leader Tipu Munshi MP, Abul Kalam Azad MP, Anisul Islam Mondol MP, suggested for taking further steps to ensure rapid development of the region by utilising the prospects.

Leaders of Jatiya Party, JSD, CPB and many other political parties, socio- cultural organisations and professional bodies also thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and asked for ensuring sustainable developments of the neglected region.

 Northern mat gaining ground in local market

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/oct/20/busi.html 

 Courtesy: New Age

Zakir Hossain . Rangpur

Mats manufactured by financially vulnerable women of Rangpur-Dinajpur region are making room in the market across the country.
Mat promotional activities, an initiative of Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service Bangladesh, an NGO, have so far changed the fortune of thousands of financially vulnerable women in the region.
   The product manufactured by the poor women of the country’s poverty-stricken areas is now being supplied across the country. The initiative has so far created job opportunities for thousands of women.
   About 4,000 women of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts are now engaged in manufacturing mats. Gradually, these women are becoming self-reliant providing additional support to their families.
   RDRS, Bangladesh began mat promotional activities in the worst poverty-stricken areas of the Rangpur and Dinajpur districts. The women of the areas were provided training by the organisation along with supplying raw materials free of cost to prepare mats in their houses. The NGO also took the responsibility of marketing the product.
   Nayon Moni, craft manager of the organisation, said that most of the poor women in the region are not directly involved in any income-generating activities in the lean period. Women in the monga-affected areas pass weeks even months with little work in the lean period when the male members go to other areas looking for job.
   He also said that the organisation began mat production and promotional activities by financially-vulnerable women at village level of the districts in 2005. It provided women 60-day practical training on mat production. Nearly 4,000 women have so far received training.
   The official said that her organisation also buys the finished product from them at the rate of Tk 10 per square foot. Later, RDRS sells the product across the country at 20-25 per cent higher price to maintain staff and other costs.
   Manjushri Shah, women rights coordinator, RDRS, said that mat production, as an income generating activity, is very useful for women, as they can do it at home without compromising other household activities like cooking, cleaning and looking after kids and elders.
   A woman can manufacture 10 to 15 square feet mat in a day that can earn her about Tk 100 to 150, she added.
   Hajera Begum, a 39-year-old woman of Gojoghanta village under Gongachara upazila in Rangpur, said that she along with her husband and three children used to starve or remain half-fed during Bengali months of Aswhin and Kartik, as there was no farm work.
   Having been engaged in mat production after receiving training she is now able to make additional money along with household works, she said adding that her family is now much better-off.

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Dinajpur is a land of opportunity- economy PDF

With the start of the much hyped election campaign all candidates offering everything possible if they are elected. This is while natural, we should also encourage them to be realistic and promise what they can really deliver once elected.

Voters, this scribe also considers, should bear a kind of responsibility to express and ask for what is mainly required for their area’s development.