The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bangladesh is a leader of Micro-credit program in the world. Bangladesh is a poor and small country but there are many opportunities and probabilities for the development of this county. It is because Bangladeshi manpower is very potential, energetic and popular in the World. There are many reasons for this matter. Political and economical crises of Bangladesh are prime factors for the development in this country.

Poultry sector of Bangladesh is very important for reduction of poverty from our country and to create employment opportunity for unemployed people. Many persons and workers are directly involved for their earning with this industry. Some days ago, this industry had fallen fully in danger position by the attack of Bird-Flu diseases. All the businessmen related with this industry, however, overcame that problem very successfully. Actually, for this poor country, it was one kind of great disaster. At that moment, Bangladesh Government supported the sufferers by bank loan. But the amount was not enough. So, a large number of Micro-finance Institutions (MFI) helping the country to get rid of poverty alleviation and the development of all essential sectors, assured of financial assistance to the men in poultry industry. Big MFIs like ASA, BRAC, Grameen Bank etc. directly participate in the development of this sector by their micro finance programme. Specially, ASA's micro-finance programme in this industry is remarkable.

ASA selected the poultry sector for giving service by their SEL loan programme for long considering its viability. The number of the ASA's borrowers is 78 lac in Bangladesh. About 95 percent poultry farms in Bangladesh are benefited by ASA's SEL loan program. A few cases of successful.

Md. IIias Hossan, son of Md. Nessar Uddin, is a very active and energetic young man living in Lavrapara of Vulta Union under Rupganj Thana of Narayanganj District. The name of his poultry Farm is 'Shah Poultry'. He made a revolution on poultry sector in Bangladesh. Traditionally their business was Jamdani Shari. After the death of his father, he decided to change traditional business for poultry farm on his own land. He started his business wth 2000 broilers and profited taka 45000 every month. To enlarge the farm, he received taka 50,000 from ASA under SEL loan scheme. In 2006, he was sanctioned taka two hundred thousand. Now the total number of his poultry farm is 4. There are 6000 fowls in his four farms. On an average, Ilias Hossain get 90 pc eggs, selling at the rate of Tk 400 per 100. He said, maximum time all buyers purchase eggs from his farms directly. He purchases the required 14 bag of poultry food every day.

There are 4 workers serving always in his farms. He wants to expand his projects largely with ASA's financial assistance. District Manager of ASA Narayanganj Md. Mahbubul Alam says, ASA Narayanganj district has been rendering service to poultry farms by their SEL loan program through 67 Branches. Zonal Manager of Narayanganj Md. Mahmuda Qadir Talukder says, ASA Narayanganj district disbursed so far Tk. 500 crore loan on all products. This is the biggest loan amount in this district for any MFI and any government financial institution.

[Md. Mahbubur Rahman Bulbul, ASA]