Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development

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Preamble
Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) is an autonomous national institution for training, research and experiment on rural development. It is the largest and the pioneering Rural Development Academy in Bangladesh. BARD was established in 1959 in Comilla by Dr. Akhter Hameed. Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan, the Founder Director of BARD, is well known in Asia and a large part of the wider world for his distinguished leadership of the Rural Development Academy and the Rural Development Experiments at Comilla, Bangladesh. He was born in Agra, India on 15th July 1914. He passed his MA from Agra University, India, in 1934 and joined the Indian Civil Service (ICS), the most prestigious and cherished service of British India. He attended the Magdelene College, Cambridge from 1936 to 1938 as an ICS probationer.Dr. Khan had been a voracious reader since his early student life. He was well versed in several languages: Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindi and Bengali. As a lifelong practising social scientist, all his academic, administrative and organisational pursuits centred around practical development works that aimed at the upliftment of the poor and the depressed. A deep concern for these helpless people-their plight of poverty, ignorance and backwardness- tormented his life and shaped the course of his thoughts and action.
Now BARD is governed by a Board of Governors with the Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives as its chairman. The director general is the chief executive of the institution. One of the mandatory functions of BARD is to provide training for both officials and non-officials. During 1959-1988, a total of about 1,18,000 participants attended various training courses, visit programmes, workshops and seminars conducted by the Academy. Located at Kotbari, 10 km off Comilla town, BARD has a very entertaining campus of 156 acres of land in natural surroundings.
The Academy's research is aimed at collection of socio-economic data for the purpose of planning and project preparation. Research findings are used as training materials in the Academy and as information materials by ministries, the Planning Commission, and policy makers for drawing up development programmes. The Academy is also engaged in evaluating major national rural development programmes either independently or jointly with government agencies, universities and research organisations.
As a part of our three days study tour in BARD, this assignment is submitted to Chairman, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet.


Organigram of BARD


Director GeneralDirector General
Director General
Director General



Additional Director generalAdditional Director general
Additional Director general
Additional Director general


Directors (9)Directors (9)
Directors (9)
Directors (9)


Joint Directors (14)Joint Directors (14)
Joint Directors (14)
Joint Directors (14)



Deputy Directors (13)Deputy Directors (13)
Deputy Directors (13)
Deputy Directors (13)



Assi. EngineerAssi. EngineerMedical OfficerMedical OfficerAssi.Director(Sports)Assi.Director(Sports)Assi. DirectorsAssi. Directors
Assi. Engineer
Assi. Engineer
Medical Officer
Medical Officer
Assi.Director(Sports)
Assi.Director(Sports)
Assi. Directors
Assi. Directors

Figure: Organigram of BARD

Division of BARD
BARD work under two division. These are-
Service Division: Service division include
I. Administration
II. Training Division
III. Research Division
IV. Project Division
Academic Division: Academic division include
I. Rural Administration and Local Government Division
II. Rural Economics and Demography Division
III. Rural Education and Social Development division
IV. Agriculture and Environment Division.
Functions of the Academy
According to the BARD Ordinance 1986, the functions of the Academy are to
conduct research in rural development and allied fields;
conduct training of Government officials and others concerned with rural development;
test and experiment concepts and theories of development;
evaluate the programmes and activities relating to rural development;
provide advisory and consultative service to the government and other agencies;
guide and supervise national and foreign students in their dissertation works;
conduct national and international seminars, conferences and workshops; and
help policy planners in the field of Rural Development.
The Activities of the Academy
The Academy has three types of activities viz. training, research and action research. These are as follows:
Training
The Academy is a designated national training institute. Its training clientele includes both officials and non-officials. Officials comprise civil servants, officers of nation building departments and international participants of development sector organisations while the non-officials are local councilors, local leaders, members of co-operatives. students of educational institutions and members of voluntary organizations. Besides, a large number of imitational clientele including students, scholars, consultants, government officials, members of diplomatic corps and imitational agencies visit the Academy.
A unified approach of research, training and experimentation to solve the problems of rural development has given special significance to the role of the Academy as a training institution. Because of this specialty BARD continues to attract trainees from different government agencies, local level organizations and non-government organizations (NGOs) as well as trainees, observers and visitors from abroad. During the period from 1959 to December 2014 a total of 2,44,803 trainees and visitors attended various programmes conducted by the Academy.
BARD has accumulated vast experience in the field of training. Every year BARD organizes 120 training courses on an average. It has also developed 30 training modules under the broad category of rural development. Various groups of national and international clientele have already participated in training courses on these modules. These courses are offered on request with a reasonable budget. Requests for organizing training courses are to be made to Director General/Director (Training), BARD, Kotbari, Comilla-3503, Bangladesh.
Research
The Academy has been conducting socio-economic research since its inception. Research findings are used as both training materials by the Academy itself and information materials by the Ministries, Planning Commission and policy makers for drawing up development programs. In some particular cases, these are also circulated among the international agencies and institutions. The total number of completed researches till June 2013 is 639.
Over time the Academy has also expanded international contact and undertaken collaborative research with various development organizations. During last 54 years Michigan State University, Harvard University, Gottingen University, Bath University, Upsala University, Kyoto University, Population Council, ICOMP, APDC, FAO, UNDP, UNESCO, IDRC, JICA and CIRDAP have become the major international research collaborators. BARD is very closely linked with the Center for Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) and acts as its National IRD Centre for Bangladesh. It is also working as the National Liaison Center for SAARC in the field of rural development.
The BARD faculty has a wide range of experience in the field of research, training and action research. In addition to self-sponsored studies, every year BARD conducts a commendable number of researches sponsored by GOs, NGOs and international agencies. The Academy with a multi-disciplinary faculty has gained the capacity to conduct multi-dimensional studies on rural development and welcomes requests to conduct studies from any agency - national or international. Requests for conducting studies are to be made to Director General, BARD/Director (Research), Kotbari, Comilla-3503, Bangladesh. Research Publications are available at the Publication Section of BARD.
Action Research
BARD conducts experimental projects to evolve models of improved institutions, administrative structures, coordination and methods of production. The project activities usually involve the villagers, development institutions, local councils and government officials. So far the Academy has conducted about 50 experimental projects on various aspects of rural development. Through these pilot experimentations, it has been able to evolve the following rural development models that have already been replicated throughout country as components of the Comilla Model:
Two-tier Cooperatives;
Thana (Presently Upazila) Training and Development Centre (TTDC);
Rural Works Programme (RWP); and
Thana (Presently) Upazila) irrigation Programme (TIP).
Besides, government has been replicating two recent models of BARD which are: Comprehensive Village Development Programme (CVDP) and Ecological Sanitation while another recent model has been replicated as Small Farmers Development Foundation (SFDF).[2]
Projects of BARD
Ongoing Project
Promoting Life Oriented Education in Primary Schools
Resource Management for Strengthening Union Parishad: An Experimental Project
Management and Extension of BARD Dairy Demonstration Farm
Comprehensive Village Development Programme – 3rd Phase (BARD Part)
E-Parishad for Better Service Delivery in Rural Areas
Women's Education, Income & Nutrition Improvement Project (WEINIP)
Completed Project
Institutionalizing Local Level Poverty Monitoring System (LLPMS)
Integrated Community Development Project in Burchang Upazila of Comilla District in Bangladesh
Upcoming Project
Institutionalizing Local Level Poverty Monitoring System (LLPMS)
Integrated Community Development Project in Burchang Upazila of Comilla District in Bangladesh
Trainings Offered by BARD
Ongoing Training
Monitoring and Evaluation of Development Projects
Special Foundation Training Course for BCS (Health) Cadre Officials-131st Batch
Special Foundation Training Course for BCS (Health) Cadre Officials-130th Batch
Special Foundation Training Course for BCS (Health) Cadre Officials-129th Batch
Upcoming Training
Development Communication
Completed Training
Quality Education and School Management
Foundation Training Course for BCS (Admin) Cadre-63rd Batch
Climate Change Issues and its Adaptation
Special Foundation Training Course for BCS (Health) Cadre Officials-128th Batch
International Training Workshop on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
Training of Trainers (ToT) Course
Food Hygiene, Adulteration and Processing
Research Methodology for Social Science Researchers
Participatory Rural Development
Dairy Production and Health
Development Project Proposal Preparation and Management
Foundation Training Course for BCS (Admin) Cadre-62nd Batch
Development Management
Special Foundation Training Course for LGED Engineer-127th Batch
Special Foundation Training Course for BCS (Health) Cadre-126th Batch
Foundation Training Course for BCS (Health) Cadre-125th Batch
Foundation Training Course for BCS (Health) Cadre-124th Batch
Special Foundation Training Course for BCS (Health) Batch-123rd
Special Foundation Training Course for BCS (Health) Batch-122nd
Special Foundation Training Course for BCS (Health) Batch-121st
Research Program of BARD
Ongoing Research
Revisiting Family Planning Activities in Bangladesh
Access to e-Services at Upazila Level: Experience of Comilla and Moulavibazar District
Role of Rural Local Government in Service Delivery and Participatory Development: Case of Three Union Parishad.
Performance and Opportunities of Upazila Central Cooperative Association (UCCA): An Analysis of Selected UCCAs
Effects of Extreme Events of Climate Change on the Livelihoods of Coastal Areas of Bangladesh
An Analysis of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Situation in Selected Areas of Bangladesh
Cattle Rearing and Organic Farming: A Situational Analysis at Selected areas of Comilla
Quality Education and Gender Perspectives in Rural Schools: A Case Study of GoB Project
Remittance Flow and Its Impact on Rural Society
Trends of Socio-economic Change of Indigenous Fishermen Communities and their Potentialities in Selected areas of Bangladesh
Education Safety Nets in Bangladesh: A Snapshot on Elite Capture
Use of Union Parishad Fund: A Case of Local Governance Support Project
Information Service Delivery at Local Level: A Study on Selected Union Information Service Centers of Bangladesh (Sponsored Study)
Capital Mobilization and its Utilisation under "One House One Farm" Project: A Study in Selected Areas
Agricultural Practices, Problems and Potentials of Farmers in Comilla
Challenges and Prospects of Jute Cultivation: A Study on Farmer's Response in Selected Areas of Bangladesh
Empowerment and Food Security among Vulnerable Women Group in Selected Districts of Bangladesh
Socio-Economic Impacts of Shandha River Bank Erosion on People: A Case of Banaripara, Barisal
Completed Research
Impact of Microcredit Programme of DYD in Bangladesh
Sustainable Development Goals:Land Use, Food Security and Changing Pattern of Agriculture in Bangladesh. Comilla: BARD, Proceedings of the National Level Training Workshop.
Endangered and Promising Fruit Species in the Changing Context of Climate for Nutrition Security and Livelihood in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh.
Farm Management and Livelihood Patterns of Rural Households: A Longitudinal Study
Farmers' Response to Natural Disasters in Chittagong Coastal Zone of Bangladesh
Farm Level Poultry Rearing and Shrimp Culture: An Exploration into Market and Employment
Endangered and Promising Fruit Species in the Changing Context of Climate for Nutrition Security and Livelihood in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh
Comilla Model
Comilla Model a rural development approach that originated and developed into a training-cum-research institution called the bangladesh academy for rural development (BARD) located on the outskirts of Comilla district town. The approach drew its name from that of the place of its origin. akhter hameed khan, pioneer of the Comilla Model and the first director of the Academy, conceived of the idea and developed the method of its implementation in the areas of agricultural and rural development on the principle of people's participatory role at the grassroots level and cooperatives. At the primary level, BARD decided to introduce a number of pilot projects beginning in 1959. There were two-fold objectives behind the introduction of these projects: (i) to provide a real-life learning situation for the trainees at the Academy, and (ii) to devise development model(s) of programmes/institutions which could be replicated elsewhere in the country. In guiding and operating the projects, BARD formulated a set of principles and strategies which provided the basis for developing the pilot projects, resulting in a rural development approach, known widely and termed variously as the Comilla Approach, Comilla Model, Comilla Programme, and Comilla Experiment.
Several steps were involved in the evolution of the Comilla Model. The first step was to make use of the existent training-cum-research institution, i.e. BARD. The second step was the affiliation of a laboratory area, a whole thana, to this institution. The purpose of the laboratory area was to carry out survey/research and organise action-research or pilot projects. The third step was a thorough study of the laboratory area and intensive consultation with the villagers on their problems and their views about the solution of those problems. The fourth step was close collaboration with the planning commission at the national level which made and evaluated policies and prescribed priorities in respect of plans and projects. The fifth was continuous evaluation and documentation of the pilot projects, not only to determine their progress but also to discover their weakness and revise them wherever necessary. The sixth step was to assist the government agencies in the multiplication of the model.
The components of Comilla Model
The components of Comilla Model are as follows:
Two tier Cooperatives - Krishak Samabaya Samity (KSS, i.e. farmers cooperative association) and Thana (Upazila) Central Cooperatives Association (TCCA)
Rural Works Programme (RWP)
Thana (Upazila) Irrigation Programme (TIP)
Thana (Upazila) Training and Development Centre (TTDC)
Implementation
To simultaneously address problems caused by the inadequacy of both local infrastructure and local institutions, the Model integrated four distinct components in every thana (sub-district) where it was implemented:
establishment of a training and development centre,
a road-drainage embankment works program,
a decentralised, small scale irrigation program, and
a two-tiered cooperative system, with primary cooperatives operating in the villages, and federations operating at thana level.
Considerable emphasis was placed on distribution of agricultural inputs and extension services, for example by helping farmers to grow potatoes in the sandy Comilla soil, and using cold storage technology.
Features of the Comilla Model
The salient features of the Comilla Model may be identified as:
(i) Institutionalization of the whole process of rural development having been the key word of the model, major emphasis has been given on the promotion of development and of refining various institutions, both public and private, and establishing a sound system of interrelationships among these institutions;
(ii) Involvement of both public and private sectors in the process of rural development;
(iii) Development of a cadre of institutional leaders in every village, such as the manager, model farmers, women organizers, youth leaders, village accountants, to manage their own organisations and sustain the efforts of development;
(iv) Development of three basic infrastructures (administrative, physical and organisational) for the comprehensive development of rural areas;
(v) Priority on decentralized and coordinated rural administration with due coordination between officials of various government departments and the representatives of people's organisations.
(vi) Comprehensive development by integrating and coordinating various complementary rural development services and project activities, planning and administrative procedures, relationship and decision making both vertically and horizontally and interaction among various sub-sectors at the local, regional and national levels;
(vii) Education, organisation and discipline are the prime characteristics of the model;
(viii) The heavy emphasis on economic and technological factors for building a prosperous and progressive society;
(ix) Development of a stable and progressive agriculture which may improve the conditions of the farmers, and can provide employment to the vast majority of the rural labour force.
These salient features distinguish the Comilla Model from other rural development approaches, such as community development, target group approach, and intensive area development.
ology;
Development of a stable and progressive agriculture to improve the conditions of the farmers, and provide employment to rural labour force.

Difficulties of Comilla Model
For various reasons the Comilla Model was unable to achieve its goal. It had particular troubles with government relations and efforts to build strong cooperative institutions. According to Dr Khan:
… in actual practice, the four programs suffered from distortion, mismanagement, corruption and subversion. After Independence of Bangladesh, while the First Five Year Plan gave general endorsement, both theoretical criticisms and practical difficulties became more severe
Escalating loan defaults became a particularly important concern, undermining the hope that the cooperatives would become self-reliant and develop into strong institutions. Dr. Khan reported that influential local people had secured management positions in the cooperatives. "They are powerful and well informed. They know that the old sanctions (certificates, notices, pressure by officers) are now dead, and they can repudiate their obligations with impunity." In addition, the new government annulled loans issued by its pre-independence predecessor. Chowdhury reports that by 1979 only 61 of the 400 cooperatives were still functioning. She attributes this result to four factors: fraud/lack of internal controls, stagnation, diversion of funds, and ineffective external supervision. The central problem of fraud and weak controls "was possible not only because of individual dishonesty, but because the people were not made aware of their rights, and were not in a position to voice their rights ..." At the same time, there were difficulties with government relations made more difficult by the departure of Khan for Pakistan. The officers and change agents were not ready to plan with the local people and to report to them directly…. The dynamic personality of Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan helped to mobilize and harmonize diverse groups to work towards a common goal for rural development. Afterwards, the contradictions within the Comilla approach manifested themselves.
Conclusion
Bangladesh has been trying to reduce rural poverty through many development projects and programmes. Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development is one of such projects. To reduce rural poverty, skill development was one of the objectives or the project. That is why training has been given on increasing skills of different levels of beneficiaries of the project. Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development ( BARD ) organized many training programs for the project beneficiaries of the country. The success of the given training as well as the project largely depends on the engagement of this training knowledge into work. The post training utilization (PTU) study had been conducted on the training course organized by BARD for the women beneficiaries of the project.

























Reference:

Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), Functions and activities, (2017). Retrieved from http://bard.gov.bd/functions_and_activities.php (accessed at 14.417)
Kasheem, Mohammad Mir . Et al., (ed.), In memory of Akhter Hameed Khan, Bangladesh academy for Rural Development, Kotbari, Comilla-3503, 1993, pp :01-15
Bangladesh Academy for Rural (BARD). Self-imiated Training Courses of BARD. 2017. Retrieved from http://www.bard.gov.bd/training_devision.php (Accesssed : 14.4.17)