UCB launches Agro CSR project 'Voroshar Notun Janala'

A press conference was organised in Dhaka on Wednesday to introduce the Agro CSR project 2023 of United Commercial Bank (UCB) PLC titled 'Voroshar Notun Janala', logo unveiling of the project and signing of MoU with Rural Development Academy (RDA).

UCB Managing Director and CEO Arif Quadri unveiled the logo of the project, reads a press release.

After that, DMD and Company Secretary of UCB ATM Tahmiduzzaman, prominent media personality Rezaul Karim Siddiqui, coordinator of the project, and Anwar Farooq, former agriculture secretary & vice-president of BISEF Foundation, presented detailed information about the project. They answered various questions to media persons about the project.  

A memorandum of understanding was signed with Rural Development Academy (RDA), the project's research partner, at the end of the programme. Managing Director and CEO of UCB Arif Quadri and Joint Director of RDA & Project Director of CDRC Abdul Majeed Pramanik signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions.

From UCB, Additional Managing Director Syed Faridul Islam; Additional Managing Director Nabil Mustafizur Rahman; Additional Managing Director Abul Alam Ferdous; Deputy Managing Director N Mustafa Tarek; Deputy Managing Director Md Abdullah Al Mamoon; Deputy Managing Director Alamgir Kabir along with other senior officials of BSAFE Foundation & RDA were also present at the event.  

As per the directives of Bangladesh Bank, UCB has taken the initiative to implement the agricultural support scheme 'Voroshar Notun Janala' this year as part of its social responsibility. The aim of this project is to ensure food security of the country, ensure better nutritional quality and promote climate resilient sustainable agriculture.

A total of 13,000 agricultural entrepreneurs from around 500 upazilas across the country will be trained under this project. Apart from this, 40 upazilas of the country will be developed as 'model areas' for the prosperity of agriculture by providing modern machinery support to agricultural entrepreneurs.

At the same time, under this project, research initiatives have been undertaken on the development of climate-smart agricultural marketing systems to improve food and nutritional security of vulnerable pastoralist households in Bangladesh. This research work will be conducted by the Char Development Research Center (CDRC), a subsidiary of the Rural Development Academy (RDA).

It should be noted that this is the first time in Bangladesh that any commercial bank is implementing such a project directly with the help of agriculture and farmers.