Dinajpur, 18 August 2025 – Dinajpur Municipality organized a regional campaign and seminar on local economic development, focusing on affordable, sustainable, and environment-friendly innovations. The event was inaugurated on Monday (18 August 2025) at the Dinajpur Sadar Upazila Auditorium by the invited Chief Guest, Shah Mohammad Mahboob, Executive Member (Additional Secretary) of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA).
On the same occasion, the launch of a three-day training workshop on Local Economic Development (LED) was announced for 60 officials and entrepreneurs from nine municipalities in Dinajpur district.
The campaign was supported by PRABRIDDHI, a Local Economic Development (LED) project, funded by the Governments of Bangladesh and Switzerland, co-implemented by the Local Government Division (LGD) and Swisscontact Bangladesh.
The program was chaired by Md. Rafiqul Islam, Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Dinajpur. Special Guests included Jibon Krishna Saha Roy, Director General of BIDA, and Rukhen Uddin Ahmed, Senior Advisor of the Swisscontact–PRABRIDDHI project. The event brought together more than 300 participants, including local government officials, business representatives, journalists, and students.
The event also showcased Dinajpur Municipality’s innovative practices, such as brick production using rice husk ash and its quality testing, sustainable waste management solutions for rice mills, and successful local entrepreneurship models. Participants gained practical insights into local economic development processes and strategies for long-term business planning.It was also highlighted that, with the support of the PRABRIDDHI project, 7 out of 200 rice mills in Dinajpur achieved ISO 14001:2015 environmental certification through SGS Bangladesh Limited, marking a significant milestone in promoting sustainable and eco-friendly management practices at the local level.
The welcome address was delivered by Md. Riaz Uddin (Deputy Secretary), Deputy Director of Local Government and Administrator of Dinajpur Municipality.
In his speech, Chief Guest Shah Mohammad Mahboob said: “Environment-friendly initiatives are crucial for local economic development, and the innovative activities of the PRABRIDDHI project will significantly contribute to sustainable development. The government’s major responsibility is to create an equal-opportunity platform and an enabling environment where the private sector can work to its full potential. Education and industry must move forward in an integrated manner so that research and development capacity can be built within the country.”
Special Guest Jibon Krishna Saha Roy stated: “One of BIDA’s most important tasks is to encourage investment and overcome challenges through reforms and recommendations. While reforms can be implemented at the national level, they often become difficult at the local level. The PRABRIDDHI project is playing a vital role in creating an investment-friendly environment at the local level. Without improving the business environment, it is not possible to strengthen the local economy. And if we continue to destroy the environment in the name of industrialization, development will never be sustainable.”
Special Guest Rokon Uddin Ahmed, presenting on the Bangla LED Model and municipal activities on local economic development, stated: “The PRABRIDDHI project has brought forward not only innovation but also strategies to ensure sustainable local economic development. These initiatives will become exemplary models for other municipalities in the future.”
During the seminar, Engr. Minarul Islam Khan, Executive Engineer of Dinajpur Municipality; Dr. Kamal Hossain, Professor at Haji Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University; and Mosaddek Hossain, President of the Dinajpur District Rice Mill Owners’ Group, shared their experiences and findings.
As part of the campaign, a day-long local product and trade fair, along with student competitions, was organized. Nearly 3,000 local residents participated in the fair, where women entrepreneurs not only showcased their products and services but also engaged directly with customers. Dinajpur residents availed various civic services from the Municipality’s booth, including trade licenses and holding tax payments through the ‘One-Stop Service Center.’ Moreover, school and college students gained knowledge about entrepreneurship and environment-friendly innovations. Throughout the day, cultural performances by local groups made the event more engaging, vibrant, and enjoyable for the participants.
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