Rural development means the development of the villages. Bangladesh is a land of villages. There are about 87,000 villages in our country. More than 85 percent of our total population lives in the villages. So, it is clear to us that the development of Bangladesh entirely depends on the prosperity of the villages and the villagers. The culture and the civilization of our total populations live in the rural area. The culture and the civilization of our country have grown up from the heart of our village life. It aims at the improvement of the welfare of rural populations through the sustained growth of the rural economy.
Rural development refers to a planned change towards the improvement of the economic and social lifestyle of the rural poor. This is done through increased production, equitable distribution of resources and empowerment. Rural development also includes the facilities of agriculture, cottage industries, and others. Good communication is essential for the development of villages.
There are various sectors of rural development. Agriculture, education, communication, health and sanitation, employment, empowerment, etc. are the most important sectors. Agriculture is closely related to the rural environment. Till now agriculture has the lion’s share in our economy. But the farmers and the farming equipment are not upto-date in most cases. So, farmers should be trained well and modern farming equipment and seeds should be made available in the villages. Besides, the irrigation system, the supply of fertilizer, pest management, agricultural loan, etc, should be considered with care and revised where necessary. Now a day’s many development programs for the development of agriculture have been taken up by our government.
About 80% of our population is the rural population. Of them about 60% are illiterate. Without education, a nation cannot prosper. It is the major dimension of rural development. So, sufficient educational arrangement is needed here. During the recent times, many roads, bridges, culverts, etc. have been built in many villages of Bangladesh. Thus, these villages have been brought under a moderate communication system. Yet, in most cases, the communication system has to be developed. New infrastructure should be built and the existing should be managed well or repaired where necessary.
Health is an important element of rural development. So a nation blessed with good health is the greatest blessing on the earth. Poor health and sanitation is still a problem rampant in rural areas of Bangladesh. Water pollution, lack of awareness, lack of nutrition, etc. are causing sufferings to them. For prevent these problems many hospitals, health centers, clinic, and charitable dispensaries should be set up in rural areas to ensure the health facilities of the poor rural peoples. So, proper steps should be taken to ensure development in this field. The farming community remains idle for almost half of the year. Besides, there are a lot of people who are landless and jobless. So, sufficient employment opportunities for this type of people should be created.
For the development of our country, rural development is the precondition. “Go back to the village” may become successful if we co-operate with the development of the rural areas of our country. It can be translated into action if the govt. as well as the intelligentsia come forward and join hands for the improvement of the villagers.
