BRAC Bank partners with BAU to adopt salinity-tolerant crops in coastal areas

BRAC Bank has recently signed a significant partnership with Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) to address the challenges posed by climate change in the coastal belt of southern Bangladesh.

The collaboration aims to empower farmers in the region by promoting the adoption of climate-resilient crops and implementing good agricultural practices, says a press release.

With this dedicated agriculture-focused Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, BRAC Bank will extend financial support to BAU for conducting research and training farmers, local government officials, and community leaders. The project will also focus on raising awareness about the development and adoption of climate-resilient crop production practices in the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

The objective of this CSR initiative is to enable farmers to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, particularly as the intrusion of saline water into arable land intensifies due to rising sea levels caused by global warming.

The formal agreement was signed by Md Sabbir Hossain, Deputy Managing Director & COO of BRAC Bank, and Dr Khandaker Md Mostafizur Rahman, Chairman and Dean, Bureau of Socioeconomic Research and Training (BSERT) of Bangladesh Agricultural University. Prof Dr Ahmed Khairul Hasan from the Department of Agronomy, Dr Md Salauddin Palash, Professor, Department of Agri Business and Marketing at Bangladesh Agricultural University were also present.

The ceremony took place at the bank's head office on July 16 and was attended by Syed Abdul Momen, Deputy Managing Director & Head of SME Banking, Ekram Kabir, Head of Communications, BRAC Bank, and other senior officials from both organisations.

Throughout the two-year project, the collaboration between BRAC Bank and BAU aims to positively impact the lives of approximately 3,000 farmers residing in Satkhira, Khulna, and Barguna districts.