Challenges and opportunities of growth centres in Bangladesh: rural development perspective

Abstract

AbstractBangladesh is predominantly an agro-based economy where the rural economy is the linchpin of her development. Rural market i.e., rural growth centres serve as a hub of the rural economy. This study assessed the challenges and opportunities of growth centres in Bangladesh from the perspective of rural development. Twelve rural growth centres were randomly selected from the six Upazilas of Kushtia district of Bangladesh, and information was gathered from various stakeholders of those rural growth centres via a survey questionnaire. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with buyers and sellers as well as Key Informants Interviews (KIIs) with market committee members and chairman/members of the pertinent locality were held for this purpose. An indicator-based assessment technique developed to elucidate the connection between the growth centres and rural development. Furthermore, a Priority Index (PI) also utilized to rank the need for further investment in growth centres. The findings unveil that storage, loading/unloading facilities, and a women's toilet arrangement were essentially non-existent in the studied regions. Furthermore, the state of the connecting roadways from the farm to the market is unsuitable for market vendors. Finally, indicator-based assessment signifies that rural development elements are profoundly impacted by the growth centre. The policy implication is that, after acknowledging the real scenario of growth centres, we should rethink and rearrange investment policies from the standpoint of rural development.