The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) has disbursed Tk 15314.72 million under Rural Development Scheme (RDS) as on March 31, 2008 swing growth rate is 47.72per cent against the same period of the' previous year. The recovery of investment is 99 per cent. This programme was implemented in 10237 villages of 61 districts through 129 branches of IBBL which has 50.38 million beneficiaries.

The IBBL launched its RDS program in 1995 aiming for rural devlopment and establishing Model Villages across the whole country by changing the destiny of poor rural people, unemployed rural youths, self-employment of down-trodden people, poor farmers and share-croppers.

The aims and objectives of this scheme are: to establish model villages within 16 kilometers radius of designated Branches of the Bank, to extend investment facilities to agricultural, other farming and off-farming activities in the rural areas, to create opportunity for self-employment and income generating activities of the rural people, particularly the rural unemployed youths and the rural poor, to alleviate rural poverty through integrated rural development approach,-to extend' investment facilities for rural housing, keeping in view the needs of housing facilities of the rural dwellers, to provide educational services, pure drinking water & sanitation and' medicare facilities to .down-trodden people.

The RDS programme continues its activities about 400 sectors including cultivation of 21 types of agrarian crops, flowers and fruits, purchase of agriculture implements and machinery buying agrarian machinery, rearing livestock and poultry farm, hatchery, rural transportation, housing and various types of off-farming sectors. Under this programme the group can receive maximum Tk 30,000 under the basis of guarantee.

Persons of the selected model villages interested to avail investment may apply in prescribed form through the concerned group in the designated branches of the bank. The bank shall sanction and disburse investment as per rule if the proposal is found viable. A new programme named Micro Enterprise Investment Scheme has been operated to fulfill extra demand for those who paid up investment in time after receiving highest investment and laid it out successfully.

Under this programme the concerned customer will received maximum Tk 2 lakh as per their demand and capacity. But to get this investment the customer should have particular guarantees.

Islami Bank Foundation has taken various supportive programme serving to education, medicare, and health services to the nation under the villi:tge of RDS.

The aims and objectives of this programme are: to arrange primary and Islami teaching for the children andadolecent under the village of RDS, to eradicatio'n illiteracy from the village, to encourage setting up library for the cultivation of knowledge, to rouse conscious about health 'informing health related information, to' make the people habituated to carry out the Islami Shariah about to keep their body fit, to habituate using pure water including having meal at every work, to arrange supplying pure water, to support setting up sanitary latrine, to organise vaccination programme, to create a chance of primary health nursing and to make easy the path of medicare treatment for complex diseases.

Thousands of people across the country have become financially well-off receiving investment from the RDS programe of the IBBL. Nazma Akter, residing in the village of Akur-takur in the district of Tangail has launched Block Boutique business receiving investment Tk 5,000 only from the RDS project and she enlarge more his business taking investment Tk 30,000. Now her total capital is Tk 2.5 lakh and 20 employees are serving in his factory. She received National Youth Award of 2007 to be first in divisional phase of RDS project.

Jahanara Begum a resident of Laksam under the district of Comilla has bought a milch cow taking investment Tk 5,000 only from, this project. Now she established a dairy farm consisting of 8 cows and she got 18 kg milk per day from this farm and'her monthly income is about Tk 15 thousand

Md. Nur Jamal inhabitant of Rajshahi has started a fish hatchery/ pesiculture taking investment Tk 5,000 only in 1999. Now he is a successful fish vender and his monthly income is about Tk 12,000. Shahjahana Begum of Patia under the district of Chittagong has set up a candle workshop receiving investment from this project. At present, her total capital is about Tk 1.80 lakh.

Rahima Begum a successful customer of RDS programe has purchased a rickshaw and rente it. Now she is owner of 62 rickshaw and her monthly income is about Tk 20,000.