Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development

Bangladesh for Rural Development (BARD) (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ পল্লী উন্নয়ন একাডেমী (বার্ড)) is an autonomous institution that strives for research and training of local people as well as practitioners on rural development. The academy is known for implementing the Comilla Model in the 1960s that has been internationally recognised as a model project for rural development in the developing countries.[1][2]

Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development
Rural development academy
Founded1959 (1959), East Pakistan
Headquarters
Comilla
,
Bangladesh
Key people
Akhtar Hameed Khan
Websitebard.gov.bd

Foundation

East Pakistan Academy for Rural Development was established in 1959 in Comilla as EPARD under the initiative of Dr Akhtar Hameed Khan who became the institution's founder-Director. After the Bangladesh War of Independence, the institution was renamed to its present form.[1][3]

Location

The academy is located at Kotbari, 10 km from Comilla town. The campus is spread over a vast area that also hosts residences, conference rooms, mosque, library, a health clinic, sports complex, and other amenities.

Objectives

One of the main functions of BARD is to provide training for both officials and non-official members of the public and private institutions working on rural development. The training is provided in the form of courses, visit programmes, workshops and seminars.[1]

Research

The research is basically aimed at collecting socioeconomic data for planning and project preparation. Findings are also used for training and information materials by respective public bodies and planning institutions. Research also relate to the evaluation of national rural development programmes either independently or jointly with government agencies, universities and research organisations.[1]

Projects

Since its inception BARD has conducted a number of large and small scales development programmes.

  • TCCA - In the 1960s the Academy evolved a new system of rural cooperatives where small farmers of Comilla sadar thana were organised into primary cooperatives in the form of the federation of Thana Central Cooperative Association. The model has been successfully replicated all over the country.
  • The Thana Training and Development Centre (TTDC) (since 1962-63) is a model of decentralised and coordinated rural administration for development. Subsequently, it was renamed as Rural Works Programme (RWP).
  • 1969, Thana Irrigation Programme.

Board of Governors (BOG)

Board of Governors (BOG) of Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) has consisted of 21 (twenty-one) individuals. There are one President, one Vice-President, 14 (fourteen) members, 4 (four) nominated members, and one secretariat member. President is selected a minister from the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives. And Vice-President is elected from Rural Development and Co-operative Division. Other members are selected and nominated from the different Ministries, Divisions, and Institutes. There is included a table of BOG.[4] Such as:-

PersonPosition
01President
01Vice-President
14Members
04Nominated Members
01Secretariat Members

See also

References
  1. "Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  2. "Comilla Model - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  3. "A legend in rural development". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  4. BARD (Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development), HigherStudy.org Published Nov 6, 2017.
  • {{Official website|
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