Desk Report:
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, MP, said that instead of increasing the number of cooperative societies in the country, utmost importance should be given to increasing the quality, efficiency and capacity of existing societies to further strengthen the cooperative movement. Effective initiatives should be taken to export the products produced by cooperatives to the domestic and international markets by modernizing them.
He said these things as the chief guest at a special discussion meeting organized at the Multipurpose Hall of the Department of Cooperatives in Agargaon on the occasion of the 104th International Cooperative Day today (July 04, 2026). The theme of this year’s International Cooperative Day was “Cooperatives for a Peaceful World”.
At the beginning of the program, the day’s program was started by hoisting the national flag. Later, the State Minister formally inaugurated the program by releasing balloons and doves, the symbol of peace.
At this time, he inspected the stalls of the fair of various products made by cooperatives.
He directly exchanged views with the officers of the Department of Cooperatives at the division, district and upazila levels and was informed about various problems and challenges at the field level. He emphasized on being more careful in distributing responsibilities and assigning responsibilities to qualified people at the right places. At the same time, he directed to take necessary initiatives to make the district offices more effective by formulating development projects (DPPs), increasing the scope of activities, promotions, infrastructural development, purchasing necessary equipment, resolving tax-related complications and increasing administrative capacity.
The State Minister said that he will visit the upazila-level cooperative societies in phases and provide necessary assistance in solving problems at the field level. He also assured all-out cooperation from the government for the development of the cooperative sector.
Mir Shahe Alam said that the government of Honorable Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is giving special importance to the cooperative sector. International Cooperative Day is not just an occasion for celebration, but it is a unique opportunity to re-evaluate the ideals, values and contributions of cooperatives. He said that sustainable development of the country is not possible without uniting the people and through cooperatives, the spirit of unity, self-reliance and mutual cooperation is developed among the people.
He also said that cooperatives have been playing an important role as an effective tool in the socio-economic development, poverty alleviation and sustainable development of Bangladesh. He called on all concerned to take initiatives from their respective positions to further strengthen the cooperative movement.
Speaking as a special guest at the meeting, Abdus Salam, President of Bangladesh National Cooperative Union and Administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation, said that the Department of Cooperatives has played an important role in the economic inclusion of rural people, women empowerment and employment creation in its long history. Cooperatives can make a greater contribution to the improvement of people’s fortunes. To this end, he called for making cooperatives more people-friendly through expansion of training programs, low-interest loans, various incentive packages and necessary legal reforms.
Registrar and Director General of the Department of Cooperatives Md. The program was presided over by Selim Fakir, NDC, and was attended by Mohang Shawkat Rashid Chowdhury, Secretary of the Rural Development and Cooperatives Department, Md. Nabirul Islam, Additional Registrar of the Cooperatives Department, senior officials of the Rural Development and Cooperatives Department, and various officers and cooperatives at the division, district and upazila levels of the Cooperatives Department, among others.
