Background

Rural Development Academy (RDA), Bogura is a well-established national institution with mandatory activities of training, research, action research and advisory services for  rural development. It is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (M/O LGRD and Cooperatives). From its inception, RDA is working for the socio-economic development of the backward people of the rural, remote, and isolated area of the society. This situation drew special attention to Government of Bangladesh and Rural Development and Cooperative Division (RDCD ) under the Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives  has implemented  the Chars Livelihoods Program ( CLP) during FY 2004-2016.Now  120 Union Parishads covering 33 Upazillas beside the river Jamuna, Teesta, Padma and Brahmoputra under CLP-2 in Kurigram, Jamalpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Pabna and Tangail Districts.

CLP is totally Donor Funded project. UK-AID and AUS-AID jointly donated 78.235 Million Pound-Sterling for CLP which are 98 % of the total project cost. Rest 02% fund is GOB fund.  To develop the socio-economic condition and improve the quality of life of the char dwellers of the above  08 Districts are the main objectives of CLP. At present, Government has published its 6^th five year plan in which the poverty in the char has been mentioned in a definitive way. The main 05  issues namely-Economic Development in favor of poverty, Human Development, Social Security, Participation of Government and integration of opinion of the poor people and priority of women have given importance in the 6 th five year plan.  To   identify accurately the above 05 issues/activities are the main target of CLP. These attempt would make substantial contribution on human development, development of infrastructure and services, reform of local government and administration and develop relation of partnership between non-government and individual. The target of CLP is  to reduce poverty of 01 million of extreme poor and improve their quality of life. The CLP activities are expanding through coordinated effort .The activities of CLP would be fruitful permanently with the cooperation of all the Line Departments of the Government. The activities are implementing under the supervision of Rural Development and Co-operatives Division. So the responsibility of continuation of CLP will depend upon the Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives after completion of the project and it has been mentioned in the Inception Report on CLP at its first step.

The all activities of CLP-2 would  be given  under the supervision / guidance of RDA after completion of the project  and this decision has been taken after reviewing the opinion of DFIDin the Project Review Committee held on 12.05.2011. As per above decision, many activities on the development of socio-economic condition of the char dwellers and other poor areas in the chars of CLP-1 and CLP-2 are implementing based on the knowledge and experiences of Faculty Members of RDA. Reveling the success of RDA initiation in the Chars, the concept of setting up the Chars Development Research Centre ( CDRC) in its 41 Board of Governors (BOG ) regular meeting in 2012 has been evolved  and a policy guideline has been prepared to conduct CDRC activities.