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National Cooperative Day is being celebrated on November 5 with the commitment to build digital platforms
Shamsul Basunia/GR Parvez
The cooperative movement is one of the driving forces of Bangladesh’s economy. To strengthen this force, there is an urgent need to stop illegal money laundering and the practice of giving money in advance known as farmer’s death trap. Morality should be inculcated among people.
A sense of self-reliance should be brought among the co-operatives. National Cooperative Day will be observed nationwide on November 5 to achieve this goal. The focal point of the day is to make the collective farming movement more active and accelerated. Digital platforms can be developed to make cooperatives’ products more popular in the market. Registrar and Director General of the Department of Cooperatives Additional Secretary Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder said this in an exclusive interview to Daily Tribunal. The interview is given below.
Daily Tribunal: Tell us about the pilot project to establish Bangabandhu Model Village.
Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder: The pilot project for establishing Bangabandhu Model Village is in progress. Neglected and backward people will be brought forward under this project and included in the mainstream of society. 10 societies of this project have been started in 10 villages of 9 districts. Under this association consisting of 500 people, 5000 people have been given a loan of 50000 taka after training. Earlier, in 2021-2022 fiscal year, 5 crore 17 lakh taka has been given to the marginal farmers. This loan amount will increase further in the 2022-2023 financial year. He expressed optimism that the agricultural production in the country will increase by 25% due to this.
Daily Tribunal: What is the main focal point of Cooperative Day? What role is the Department of Cooperatives playing in the development of rural economy infrastructure?
Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder: Creating employment among marginalized people with self-respect, ensuring access to small loans and making valuable contribution to the national economy by creating women entrepreneurs is the main focus of Cooperative Day. Bringing the products of cooperatives under one platform is to bring competition, cooperation and coordination. The objective is to include marginalized people in the mainstream and thus make the country and nation economically sustainable and strong.
Daily Tribunal: What steps are being taken to make the cooperative movement more vigorous and strong? What modernization work has been undertaken?
Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder: To speed up and strengthen the co-operative movement, the existing Co-operative Act is being made more up-to-date by making necessary changes, extensions and amendments. At the same time, the entire cooperative management will be modernized in the manner of the developed world to meet the needs of the age. At the same time, the mentality should also be changed. A cooperative mentality should be created. For this, confidence should be created, nurtured and developed among the cooperatives.
Daily Tribunal: How is the Cooperative Directorate getting the cooperation of other departments and organizations regarding the prosperity and progress of cooperatives?
Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder: Directorate of Co-operatives is moving towards dynamic as it is getting active cooperation and support of other departments and organizations to bring prosperity and progress of this Department. Local Government Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock is playing a significant role in this regard.
Daily Tribunal: What initiatives have been taken to create rural employment through milk and meat production projects?
Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder: The success of cooperative movement is visible in milk and meat production. In these two points, the country and the nation are already moving forward by meeting the needs of the people. 4 projects have been implemented. 2 more projects are under implementation. Even though only 4% service charge is taken without taking interest money. But the mind-set of the borrowers is not paying money to the public fund. Avoiding this mentality, everyone should come together to build the country economically.
Daily Tribunal: We know, workers seek to improve their fortunes by collecting their own savings through cooperatives. What is the latest result of that effort?
Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder: The efforts made by the workers to improve their fortunes by accumulating their own savings have developed and started to manifest themselves today. 35,000 unfortunate people of the coastal areas are being brought under the cooperative movement and they are being given good fortune through various means. Consolidation of credit flows has made it possible to keep stakeholders free from interest exploitation in this sector. There is no example of giving a loan of 5000 taka and insisting to pay interest after 1 week in this management.
Daily Tribunal: Fisheries and Farming, Textile Industry Handicrafts, Dairy Production and Processing, Pottery, Leather Industry, Housing and Bee-keeping are being improved. Would you take any further steps in this regard?
Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder: All kinds of support are being given to make each sector self-reliant and developed. The objective is to establish fisheries and cattle farming, textile handicrafts, dairy production and processing, pottery, leather industry, vehicle housing are treated as symbols of self-reliance.
Daily Tribunal: Tell us about the contribution that the Directorate of Cooperatives is making in popularizing modern scientific methods of farming in agriculture.
Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder: Department of Cooperatives plays a leading role in introducing modern scientific methods of cultivation in agriculture. Today, the modernization that is being observed in agriculture across the country is largely due to the contribution of the cooperative movement.
Daily Tribunal: How to succeed in dispute resolution?
Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder: We do not have any dispute pending. Whenever any conflicting situation arises, it is resolved by calling the two parties by sitting beside each.
Daily Tribunal: How do you think the fear of a global recession could affect Bangladesh after the Covid-19 situation?
Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder: After the covid-19 situation, fear of global recession doesn’t fell the country into trouble. Because of we have learned to tackle poverty through capital formation and self-employment. The struggle to make agricultural, non-agricultural, financial and service sectors sustainable through capacity building of cooperatives, creation of entrepreneurship should be accelerated. We can face the challenge bravely if we put our efforts collectively ignoring our differences.