Dhaka: Finance adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed today underscored the necessity of narrowing the rural-urban gap to curb the mass movement of people towards urban centers. He called for measures to ensure balanced national development by enhancing civic amenities in villages to match those in cities and towns.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr. Ahmed made these remarks during the inaugural ceremony and startup workshop of the second phase of the Rural and Peri-Urban Housing Finance Project, organized by the Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation (BHBFC) at a hotel in the capital. He extended gratitude to BHBFC and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for their Shariah-compliant investment strategies aimed at developing housing in rural and peri-urban regions. Dr. Ahmed expressed optimism that other organizations would follow the BHBFC’s example.
This initiative is part of BHBFC’s Islamic Shariah-based housing investment program, supported by funding from the IsDB. The first phase concluded in O
ctober 2022, having commenced in the 2018-19 fiscal year. With the launch of the second phase, BHBFC has secured financial assistance amounting to 270.57 million Euros, equivalent to Taka 3,171 crore. This funding was formalized under an agreement signed between the government of Bangladesh and IsDB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 29, under the guidance of the Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance. To date, 67 million Euros have already been allocated to BHBFC for this initiative, which is expected to conclude in the fiscal year 2028-29.
The event was presided over by former Cabinet Secretary and Chairman of BHBFC Board of Directors, ASM Abdul Halim. Other notable attendees included Regional Manager of IsDB Muhammad Nasir Bin Sulaiman, Finance Division Secretary Dr. Khairuzzaman Mozumder, Secretary of Financial Institutions Division Nazma Mobarek, and Secretary of Economic Relations Division Shahriar Kader Siddiky. In his welcome address, BHBFC Managing Director Md Abdul Mannan express
ed appreciation to various divisions, including the Finance Division, Financial Institutions Division, ERD, Bangladesh Bank, and IsDB for their collaborative efforts.
The ceremony also witnessed participation from BHBFC Shariah Supervisory Committee President Prof. Dr. Md. Abdus Samad, Economic Infrastructure and Operations Team Leader of IsDB Abu Sandy Bokairi, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh Bank, and BHBFC. All field-level managers of BHBFC attended the inaugural function and workshop.