Rangpur: Senior divisional level officials today urged all concerned to discharge their duties with utmost sincerity and dedication for building a cooperative-based and discrimination-free society to ensure the welfare of all citizens. They made the call while addressing a discussion organised by the Divisional Cooperatives Office at the Divisional Commissioner’s conference room, marking the 53rd National Cooperative Day-2024 in the city.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the day’s programme began with the hoisting of the national and cooperative flags and a procession on the streets. Divisional Commissioner Md Shahidul Islam led the procession, which was participated in by officials, journalists, employees, and activists from different cooperative organisations.
Later, a discussion was held on the occasion. Divisional Commissioner attended the discussion as the Chief Guest, with Divisional Joint Registrar Mrinal Kanti Biswas in the chair. Deputy Inspector General of Rangpur Range Police Aminul Isla
m and Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rabiul Foysal spoke as special guests.
The speakers emphasized that cooperative organisations could assist rural people in achieving self-reliance through self-employment, small-scale enterprises, handicrafts, and cottage industries by strengthening cooperative activities and ensuring good governance. They stressed expanding opportunities to impart skill development training to unemployed rural youth through cooperative societies, aiming to turn them into human resources for poverty alleviation through income-generating activities.
The chief guest highlighted that the history of cooperative societies is almost as old as the history of human civilization, with the present organisational form established sometime before the industrial revolution in Europe. He stated, ‘Co-operative is an institution, which is established for the wellbeing of all people.’
Regarding the establishment of a discrimination-free Bangladesh, he remarked, ‘Due to discrimination, we could not achieve
the desired goal of development.’ He further noted, ‘As the root cause of this discrimination is corruption, all must work together to prevent corruption. The present interim government is working to eliminate corruption and establish a discrimination-free Bangladesh.’
Later, the Divisional Commissioner handed over mementos to the successful entrepreneurs of upazila level cooperative societies.