50th National Cooperatives Day observed

The 50th National Cooperative Day was observed in many districts in the country with various programmes on Saturday.

The theme of the day this year was -Philosophy of Bangabandhu, Development in Cooperatives, reports BSS.

In Manikganj, Marking the day, a discussion was held in the auditorium of Manikganj District Council under the auspices of District Cooperative Office.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Abdul Latif presided over the function. District Cooperative Officer Sumon Ahmed, Manikganj Municipality Mayor Md. Ramjan Ali, Additional Superintendent of Police Hafizur Rahman, and Manikganj Sadar Upazila Cooperative Officer Abdullah Al Mamun, among others, took part in the discussion.

Over one hundred cooperators attended the function.

In Rangpur, Speakers at a discussion stressed on strengthening multipurpose cooperatives activities to enhance productivity in all sectors for improving economic conditions of rural people.

They viewed this at the discussion organised by Divisional Cooperatives Office at Town Hall in the city.

Divisional Commissioner Md Abdul Wahab Bhuiyan jointly with Joint Registrar of Divisional Cooperatives Office Md Mokhlesur Rahman launched observance of the day there after leading a rally by hoisting the national flag and cooperative flag.

Officials and employees and activists of different cooperative organisations, political leaders, civil society members and local elite participated in the events abiding by the health directives in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Divisional Commissioner attended the discussion as the chief guest with Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Md Golam Rabbani in the chair.

Deputy Inspector General for Rangpur Range Police Devdas Bhattacharya, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Alim Mahmud and Chairman of the Central Cooperatives Bank Limited, Rangpur Tushar Kanti Mandal addressed as special guests.

Principal of Cooperative Training Institute, Rangpur Shahinur Islam delivered welcome speech narrating successes achieved by rural people through multipurpose cooperative activities in developing human resources to increase productivity.

“Because of strengthening cooperative activities, good governance has been established in cooperative organisations assisting rural people in achieving self-reliance through self-employment, small-scale enterprises, handicrafts and cottage industries,” he said.

The DIG stressed on enchaining disbursement of cooperative loans among rural poor to enhance productivity and achieve all targets of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) for ensuring inclusive development of all people.

Alim Mahmud called for expanding opportunities to ensure skill enhancement training for unemployed rural youths through cooperative societies to turn them into human resources for alleviating poverty through income generating activities.

The chief guest stressed on bringing unemployed youths, small and marginal farmers, entrepreneurs and the poor under multisectoral cooperative schemes to eliminate poverty from rural areas to build a developed Bangladesh.

Later, he distributed crests among 13 cooperative societies, including three each at the divisional and district levels and seven at upazila level, for providing maximum cooperative development fund (CDF).

In Rajshahi, Speakers at a discussion urged for finding effective ways and means to attain strength and prosperity in every sphere of national life and for making the cooperatives movement a total success.

The divisional administration and department of Cooperatives jointly organised the discussion at Shaheed AHM Kamaruzzaman Zila Parishad Auditorium in the city.

Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation AHM Khairuzzaman Liton addressed the discussion as chief guest, while Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdul Baten spoke as special guest with Additional Divisional Commissioner Moinul Islam in the chair.

Divisional Joint Registrar of the Department of Cooperatives Abdul Mazid, Deputy Director of the Local Government Division Shahana Akhter Jahan, District Cooperatives Officer Saidur Rahman and two cooperative leaders Mijanur Rahman and Ayesha Islam also spoke.

Mayor Liton stressed the need for strengthening the cooperatives movement everywhere in the society, mentioning that cooperatives can play a big role in the country’s development.

He added that if the cooperatives’ movement can be carried out properly, then the country will develop faster to materialise the spirit of the War of Liberation and ensure social security.

Liton also emphasized the importance of training youths to be good human resources to potentially end unemployment in the region.

He, however, said rural people have started reaping enormous benefits from cooperative activities to enhance productivity in every sector to cut poverty and achieve self-reliance.