Comilla Model

Plan 331
 Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan, the Founder
Director of BARD, the pioneering of co-
operative in Bangladesh and the founder of
‘Comilla Model’
Co-operative context in Bangladesh
• BARD – 60s
• BRAC- 70s
• Grameen Bank- 80s
 Introduction
After the failure of V-Aid, Khan realized the
following points:
For rural development:
❑-farmers should rapidly expand their production
and sale
❑-There should be enough road, drain,
embankments and irrigation facilities
❑-Funding for infrastructure is not enough; regular
maintenance and management is necessary
 Introduction
Therefore, Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan
suggested a model for institution building
that is capable of performing local
maintenance and management.
 Comilla Experiment on Rural Development:
A Model for Institute Building
Major components:
• Rural Works Program (RWP) aimed primarily to build
communication and drainage network by using local manpower.
• Thana Training and Development Centre (TTDC) to train villagers on
such issues as new agricultural technology, cooperation, citizen’s
right and obligation.
• Thana Irrigation Program (TIP) to provide irrigation facilities to
farmers and to encourage community management of pumps and
tube-wells.
• Two-tier cooperatives to promote cooperation among villagers by
establishing two supplementary cooperative structures, one at the
thana level (TCCA) and the other at the village level (KSS).
 Comilla Model
Ultimate Aim :
- To bring the poorer farming population out of
the clutches of money lenders.
- To introduce the spirit of self financing and
self management among them
 Comilla Experiment on Rural Development:
A Model for Institute Building
Achievements
• Comilla model brought vibrancy in rural economy.
• TTDC initiated a decentralized and coordinated
institutional base for local level planning and human
resource development.
• RWP met the requirement of infrastructure
development for productive purposes
• TIP is an attempt of development and management of
irrigation resources
• The two tiers cooperative system organized the farmers
by mobilizing resources and help them to increase
productivity.
 Comilla Experiment on Rural Development:
A Model for Institute Building
Limitations
-It did not bring any structural changes in rural
society by altering land relations.
-Benefits of development have been cornered
by well to do farmers due to their better
resource endowment
-It did not really bring about economic self
reliance.
 Reference
• Wickipedia
• Departmental Course file of Plan 331