The convener of the Association of Engineers Bangladesh (AEB), engineer Shahrin Islam Chowdhury Tuhin, has called on banks and other corporate institutions to come forward to help farmers and students, to free the country’s marginalised people economically and end the inequality of neglected regions.
He made the call as chief guest at a distribution of inputs for high-yield Boro rice (BRRI dhan103) to 500 marginal farmers at the Janata Degree College ground in Nilphamari’s Dimla upazila on Thursday afternoon (November 5).
NCC Bank PLC organised the farm aid under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.
“The people of the north, especially Nilphamari and Rangpur division, have long suffered economic and educational inequality,” Tuhin said. “We must end the days when our region is seen as monga-stricken or backward. We must take special care that our children are not denied higher education for lack of money. For this, other commercial banks should follow NCC Bank and come forward by creating merit-based scholarships and supporting educational institutions.”
Stressing the importance of agriculture, he added: “Our area depends on farming. If farmers do not smile, the national economy will never be sustainable. NCC Bank has worked tirelessly, preparing for a month and a half to two months and investing the full cost to put improved seed and inputs into farmers’ hands, which is truly commendable. If every bank in the country came forward like this to remove regional inequality and to benefit working people, there would be no want in the country.”
The event was chaired by NCC Bank PLC’s managing director, M Shamsul Arefin. The bank’s chairman, Md Nurun Newaz Salim, spoke as guest of honour. “In line with the agriculture policy adopted by the present government to keep the country self-sufficient in food, NCC Bank, out of social responsibility, is giving direct farm aid in 20 to 30 upazilas across Bangladesh,” he said. “Our aim is to strengthen marginal farmers.”
Dimla Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Imranuzzaman and Upazila Agriculture Officer Mir Hasan Al Banna spoke as special guests.
Also present were Dimla police station’s officer-in-charge (OC), Md Ashraful Islam; former Dimla upazila BNP president Professor Raisul Alam Chowdhury; former central Mahila Dal leader Professor Mosammat Setara Sultana; former upazila BNP organising secretary Golam Rabbani Prodhan; and officials of the bank.
After the meeting, the chief guest and the other guests handed various Boro farming inputs to the 500 farmers.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report