Rural development means the development of the villages. It also means the development of the condition of our villagers by providing facilities for communication, education and medical care, health and sanitation.
The facilities to develop agriculture, cottage industries, handicrafts should also be ensured for the rural development. After Liberation War, massive programmes for rural development have been undertaken.
During pre-liberation period our villages were totally neglected. But immediately after our liberation massive development programmes in all sectors have been undertaken. Many roads from upazilla to the union parishad have been constructed to link the villages with upazilla. Roads to connect the district head quarters with upazillas have also been constructed. As a result, people can easily move to district and upazilla and carry their agricultural products easily. Many development pragrammes for the development of agriculture have been taken up.
Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) supplies good seeds, fertilizers, powertillers, deep tubewells, shallow tubewells and other modern tools to adopt scientific method of cultivation on short term credit and on hire basis at low interest. Canal digging programme is also undertaken for ensuring water supply for irrigation purpose.
Upazilla health complexes have been set up to provide medical facilities to the rural people. People are getting primary health care from these places. Many N.G.Os are making arrangement to train up the rural people on hatchery, poultry, livestock, nurseries etc. Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation is arranging training for the rural people who are developing their skills in cottage industries and handicrafts. Their products are now very popular and in great demand at home and abroad. By exporting their products, we are earning a lot of foreign exchange which is ultimately helping to improve the condition of rural people. Many schools and colleges have been set up in rural areas very recently. The government has undertaken programmes to provide scholarship to the girl students upto higher secondary level. The primary education has been made free and compulsory. Books are supplied to the primary students free of cost.
At primary level, cash money is allocated to both boys and girls to encourage them to continue studies. The girl students are now reading free of cost up to higher secondary lexel. So the condition of the rural people is rapidly improving. Mobilephone, computer are very much available to the rural people. Many young people of the rural areas are working in overseas and sending remittance by which they are changing their lot. So if this process and speed of development goes undisturbed, the picture of our rural areas will be changed very soon.
