Dhaka: The government of Bangladesh and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), and the Rural Development Administration (RDA) of the Republic of Korea have signed the Record of Discussion (RoD) and Terms of Reference (ToR) for a $39.286 million grant dedicated to the "Saemaul Plus End Poverty Program (SPEPP) in Bangladesh."
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the project will be executed by the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) as the lead implementing agency under the Rural Development and Co-operatives Division (RDCD) of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (MoLGRDC). The grant is allocated among KOICA ($30.0 million), MOIS ($5.686 million), and RDA Korea ($3.6 million).
The project focuses on strengthening government and community capacity for sustainable rural community development. It aims to enhance agricultural productivity, improve climate resilience, and increase rural household income through strengthened agricultural value chains and community-based business activities. The sites for the project are located in 114 selected villages in Cumilla and Feni districts of Chattogram Division and Bogura district of Rajshahi Division. The project is scheduled to be implemented from 2026 to 2034.
Masuma Akter, Additional Secretary and Wing Chief (Asia, JEC and FandF), Economic Relations Division (ERD), signed the Record of Discussion (RoD) and Terms of Reference (ToR) on behalf of the government of Bangladesh, while Jihoon Kim, Country Director for KOICA, signed on behalf of the government of Korea.