BOGURA, July 27, 2023 (BSS)-State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharya said the Rural Development Academy (RDA), Bogura, will have to play a significant role in building of ‘Smart Bangladesh’.

The state minister made this call while addressing the two-day long 33rd annual planning conference of the academy here this morning.

“The RDA, a specialized institution working for rural development, must have to explore more sustainable and new technology in order to keep country’s ever increasing development progress to continue”, he told the conference organized with a target to formulate an action plan for FY 2023-24.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established the RDA here on June 19, 1974 with a goal to build a prosperous country free from poverty and regional discrimination.

With the continuation of its goal, Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina has taken multi-dimensional initiatives to eradicate discriminations between the rich and the poor.

The rural development institution will have to play vital role for building a smart Bangladesh through innovating modern sustainable technology and introducing practical research in agriculture, said the state minister, adding “The RDA has already been contributing in the national economy by innovating undergrounding irrigation drain, diversified use of deep tube well, community based bio-gas plant and rural livelihood model for the local poor people.

With RDA Director General M Khurshid Alam Rijvi in the chair, the function also was addressed, among others, by M Habibur Rahman, MP, Rural Development and Cooperatives division secretary Mst Hamida Begum, Vice Chancellor of Hazi Danesh Science and Technology University Prof Dr M Quamruzzaman and Registrar of the Cooperatives Department and DG M Shafiqur Reza Biswas.