Govt's multi-dimensional dev drive: Socioeconomic scenarios changed in Thakurgaon
Uninterrupted and multi-dimensional development has changed the socioeconomic scenarios and livelihood of people of the country's northern district of Thakurgaon.
Locals said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the district has witnessed remarkable progress in every field, including education, healthcare, power, communication and infrastructure.
They also said that Thakurgaon has shown success in bringing down the militant activities to zero level alongside rehabilitating the militants back to normal life.
While visiting different parts of the district, Russel Ahmed, an inhabitant of Harinmari in Baliadangi told BSS that in the last 14 and a half years, the economic capacity of people has increased massively along with demand of daily life essentials due to the development in all socio-economic indicators. The taste of local people has changed as the urban amenities have reached the rural marginalised population, he added.
AGRICULTURE:
Thakurgaon is mainly an agriculture-based district and a wide diversity was seen in the agricultural production here. Due to natural and geographical reasons, wheat, corn, potato, jute, vegetables, mustard, almonds, onion, garlic, pepper, ginger, turmeric and other types of Rabi crops and oilseeds are grown alongside rice in large quantities in this district.
As a result of the current government's versatile and modern technology-based agricultural management, the total arable land and the production of agricultural products have increased manifold in the last two decades in the district.
Average cropping intensity was 232 percent during FY 2005-2006 to 2007-2008, which has increased to 269 percent at present, according to the district administration.
One of the major achievements of the present government in the agriculture sector is the distribution of various agricultural assistance to genuine farmers through the Agricultural Input Assistance Card.
At present, some 278,261 farmers have been given agricultural assistance cards in Thakurgaon district, while 144,117 farmers have been opened bank accounts at Taka 10. So far, 100,850 farmers of the district have been given various types of agricultural incentives.
EDUCATION:
In the war-torn country of 1972, the number of primary schools in Thakurgaon district was 369 while the number reached only 429 during 2006 to 2009.
At present, the number of primary schools has reached 999 as a result of the implementation of the government's cent percent primary education expansion policy.
In Thakurgaon district in 2006, the number of secondary schools, colleges, madrasas and technical educational institutions were 246, 35, 65 and 07 respectively, but at present this number has increased to 366, 60, 123 and 27 respectively.
In the comparison between 2009-2023 period and 2006-08 period, it was found that there was 643 multimedia class rooms now which was zero during 2006-08, while 570 primary schools were nationalised in 2009-23 which was only 60 in 2006-08, stipend was being given to 100 percent student from 5 percent student, job nationalisation of 2,601 teachers from zero,
dropout rate reduced to 2.6 percent from 18.77 percent, number of digital smart class rooms was 131 which was zero in 2006-08, laptop distributed to 1657 schools which was zero in 2006-08 and WiFi connection given to 897 schools from the zero in 2006-08.
When Thakurgaon Road Girls High School was visited, it was seen that students are able to use multimedia classes easily due to uninterrupted electricity.
Various computers related subjects are being taught hands-on at Sheikh Russell Digital Lab. Students of this school are attending classes in digital smart classroom.
When asked, Maisa Farzana, a student of class X, said, she can open Google ID, Gmail ID. Apart from this, in the school's Sheikh Russell Digital Lab she has acquired the basic understanding of computers including Microsoft Word.
Since the establishment of the lab in 2022, the girls have been given hands-on ICT education, said Headmaster Kofil Uddin.
He told the media that attendance is increasing. As the government provides digital materials, students are paying attention to digital teaching and taking classes in multimedia.
HEALTHCARE:
In 2006, there were five upazila health complex hospitals with 31 beds in four upazilas of Thakurgaon district. At present, five upazila health complexes in the district have converted into 50-bed modern hospitals, while the district's only 100-bed Sadar Hospital has been upgraded to an eight-storey 250-bed General Hospital.
The process of appointing doctors, nurses and support staff on way to improve the quality of health services. The health department of this district has achieved unprecedented success like the rest of the country in dealing with the global Covid-19 situation.
The activities of internationally recognised community clinics can be seen even in the remote villages of the district. Ordinary people are happy to get treatment when it is needed.
A village woman, Achhiya Khatun said that if the children in the village become sick, they go to the community clinic and get medical care. "If someone is sick then we go there for treatment," she added.
ROAD TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION:
Extensive development activities have been carried
out in last 14 and a half years for the development of infrastructure in Thakurgaon district.
A revolutionary change has come in the communication system. Some 33-km road has been constructed through widening under the Roads and Highways Department for complying the Asian Highway-2.
Besides, the length of paved road reached 203-km due to reconstruction of 120-km four paved roads under the Thakurgaon road department during 2009-2023.
Moreover, 6-km of road in the district town was elevated into to four lanes along with construction of road divider and setting up of road light.
Similarly, out of 81 existing bridges/culverts under Thakurgaon road division, 20 bridges/culverts were reconstructed during 2009-2023.
Under the LGED, the district has now a total of 1600-km paved roads, of which 1,155-km was constructed during 2009-23. Similarly, the number of bridges/culverts constructed during 2009-23 is 5,031, which was 2,156 in 2008.
An inhabitant of Baliadangi upazila said that once upon a time most of the roads were not usable before the 2009, but now they are feeling comfort during their movement to any place in the district.
"After the current government took over, almost all the rural roads in our upazila have been made 'pacca'. Common people have benefited from it. Especially marginal farmers are able to market their production easily and that is why the financial situation is improving," said Sohel Rana, a resident of Ranishankail Upazila.
ELECTRICITY:
In 2006, when the BNP-Jamaat alliance left power, Thakurgaon had only 30 MW of electricity. Most of the people in the district were without electricity facilities.
After Awami League came to power in 2009, the picture has changed. People's demand for electricity increases due to the planned activities of the government.
Private power generation plant set up in 2022. Its production capacity is 115 MW. As a result, hundred percent of the people of this district are now enjoying electricity facilities.
New factories are being built in the district. Small cottage industries have been facilitated, the economy of marginalised people is growing, new employment sectors have been created.
Not only that, uninterrupted power supply has also improved the health sector.
According to Thakurgaon district administration, a power generation plant named EPV Thakurgaon Limited was established in 2022 at Gauripur in Jagannathpur union of Thakurgaon Sadar upazila.
It has already been possible to bring hundred percent of the people of this district under electricity service through NESCO and REB from this power station and national grid electricity. Currently, the electricity supply in the district is 104 MW.
In 2006, there were only 91,112 electricity consumers. At present 4,18,091 customers have come under the electricity facility.
Manager (operation) of EPV power plant, Zahidul Islam told the media on July 9 that the production capacity of the power plant is 132 megawatts, while there is 114 MW demand during peak hours, but as per the contract 115 MW is generated here.
"It meets the electricity demand of the entire Thakurgaon," Deputy Commissioner of Thakurgaon Mahbubur Rahman told the media.
He also said that as a result of the establishment of the power plant, it has become possible to spread electricity services in the rural areas here.
"There is electricity in every house, factories and projects in the district. Industrialisation is going on around this centre where the production is more than the demand. In economic activities, socio-economic conditions are progressing due to this power plant. The power plant is working as a blessings for the area," he added.
RAIL COMMUNICATION:
The railway communication sector is one of the few sectors that have achieved unprecedented and memorable development in Thakurgaon district. Radical changes have been made in the last 14 and a half years in the construction of railway tracks, introduction of new coaches in railway, construction of modern railway platforms etc in this district.
At present, a total of 6 trains are plying with Thakurgaon to establish modern rail links with other districts. Among them, five intercity trains and one local train.
Public toilets with modern facilities have been constructed for the use of passengers. At present, construction of modern railway tracks for inter-state rail communication from Thakurgaon to Tentulia is in progress.
TEA:
After the Awami League came to power in 1996, under the guidance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, tea gardens were planted for the first time in plain district Panchagarh.
Tea has become is one of the main sources of livelihood for the people of Panchagarh. The wave of tea production has now spread to the neighbouring district of Thakurgaon.
Tea production started here for the first time in 2007. Most tea cultivation is done in Baliadangi upazila of the district.
According to the information given by the district administration, tea is cultivated on 1,457 acres of land. It generates an annual income of Taka 40 crore. Some 3,000 people have been directly and indirectly employed.
MILITANCY:
Once upon a time, there was darkness in the society here as remote villages were in the clutches of militancy. Now that picture has changed and there is no such ferocity and bigotry.
A villager in Pirganj, where militancy increased up massively, said that at one time it was very bad area but the people of the village are no longer in that fear. "Now, the environment is very beautiful. There is no terrorism here," he added.
Replying to a query, Superintendent of Police of Thakurgaon Mohammad Jahangir Hossain told the media that there are many changes in today's Thakurgaon compared to the previous time you are talking about.
Mentioning that now people believe in development, he said that the scope of work has increased and that is why there is no more tendency to take advantage of poverty to engage anyone in militancy.
Apart from these, Thakurgaon also witnessed the construction of Model Mosques, Sheikh Russel Mini Stadium, huge employment generation through providing training to both males and females in TTC and other projects, and the distribution of houses under Ashrayan project.