Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) under its Community Development Initiative (CDI) programme distributed Taka 31 lakh as grants among 310 extremely poor families for livelihoods improvement here Friday.
Under the programme, each family received Taka 10,000 in the first phase out of total nonrefundable grant of Taka 15,000 for improving their livelihoods through income generation activities, BDRCS sources said today.
The grants were distributed in two separate ceremonies arranged on Beramukim Government Primary School (GPS) ground under Mithapukur upazila and at Najirdigar village under Sadar upazila.
A total of 150 beneficiary families of Community-1 comprising Najirdigar, Biddiban and Satghoria villages in Sadar upazila and 160 families of Community-2 comprising Padmapukur and Beramukim villages in Mithapukur upazila received the grants.
Secretary of Rangpur unit of BDRCS Shah Mohammad Nabi Ullah Panna presided over the ceremonies participated by hundreds people of all ages of the two economically backward communities, civil society members, community leaders and local elite.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Planning Ministry and Treasurer of Awami League (AL) H N Ashikur Rahman, MP, distributed the grants at Beramukim GPS under Mithapukur upazila as the chief guest.
Meanwhile, Mayor of Rangpur City Corporation and valiant freedom fighter Alhaj Sharfuddin Ahmed Jhantu distributed the grants at Najirdigar village under Sadar upazila in the afternoon as the chief guest.
Secretary General of BDRCS BMM Mozaharul Haque, Director of CDI Programme Nazmul Hassan Khan, its Deputy Director Afsar Uddin Siddik, Mithapukur upazila chairman Zakir Hossain Sarker, RCC Councilors Akram Hossain and Akhter Hossain Bhuttu, addressed as the special guests.
Executive Committee Members of BDRCS Rangpur unit Abul Kashem and Rowshanul Kaiser Sangram, its life time members Tushar Kanti Mandal, freedom fighter Sadek Ali, Nidhuram Adhikari and Obaidur Rahman Moyna also spoke.
The grant distribution ceremonies were followed by cultural functions including staging of drama to focus socioeconomic uplift and empowerment of the economically and socially backward rural women through various income generation activities. –BSS, Rangpur
