Government to launch four new projects for rural employment and better living standards

The government has taken an initiative to launch four new projects under the Department of Cooperatives and the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB) to create employment for the rural poor and improve their living standards. The projects are planned to be implemented under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

The information was given during the question-and-answer session on the first day of the fourth session of the national parliament on Monday (9 November).

The plan was presented in reply to a written question from Kamruzzaman Kamrul, member of parliament for Sunamganj-1, in a sitting chaired by Speaker Major (retired) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Bir Bikram.

In his question, Kamruzzaman Kamrul asked whether there was any plan to launch new projects for creating employment for the rural poor and improving living standards at the district and upazila levels.

In the absence of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan, State Minister Shahe Alam answered the question on his behalf.

In reply, State Minister Shahe Alam said two new projects have been proposed under the Department of Cooperatives in the ADP for 2026-27, aimed at creating employment for the rural poor and improving their living standards.

The first project is skill development for women and creation of entrepreneurs through cooperatives. Under this project, there are plans to create employment for rural women, alleviate poverty and provide microcredit facilities in 200 upazilas of the country, including Shalla, Tahirpur, Bishwambharpur, Jagannathpur and Chhatak upazilas of Sunamganj.

The state minister said this would help women achieve economic self-reliance.

The second project is the development of technical and language skills for creating a skilled workforce through cooperatives. Under this project, local people in 496 upazilas of the country, including the above-mentioned upazilas of Sunamganj, are planned to receive technical and language training.

Through this, an initiative has been taken to create employment, alleviate poverty and achieve economic self-reliance through microcredit facilities.

The state minister also said two more projects have been proposed under the BRDB for creating employment for the poor and improving their living standards.

He told parliament that the development project proposals (DPPs) for the two proposed BRDB projects have been sent to the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division. They are currently in the process of approval.

The two projects are 'Skill Development for Income Generation by Rural Society (SDIG)' and the 'Rural Entrepreneur Development Project'.

The state minister further said these two BRDB projects are also included in the list of unapproved new projects in the ADP for 2026-27. They will be implemented subject to approval.