A PLAN FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM IN BANGLADESH
 

                           Dr. S. M. Mannan
                           Professor,
                                Dept. of Information Science
                         & Library Management
                        University of Dhaka

                             Minhaj Uddin Ahmad
 

Bangladesh lives in villages. There are about 84,000 villages in Bangladesh.¹ Bangladesh with her predominantly rural population of 84% is characterized by a stagnation in the economy with per capita income stooping as low as US$ 170 per annum. The situation in the rural areas is even worse with unemployment and underemployment widely prevalent at least with 40% of the ruralities.² In the face of such challenges, the prime needs of rural development in Bangladesh have been identified as productive employment and income generating programmes in both farm and non-farm sectors along with appropriate technological information on land based activities and development of basic infrastructures.³

 In the present day world, information is an essential input to any R&D (Research and Development) activity. Some benefits likely to result from a larger availability of scientific and technical information are:⁴

(a) Improved capability of a country to take advantage of existing knowledge and 'know-how' achieved elsewhere.

(b) Rationalization and systematization of a country's research and development efforts in the light of knowledge already available.

(c) Wider knowledge base for the solution of problems.
(d) New alternatives and approaches to the solution of technical problems,
         and options for minimizing future ones.

(e) improved effectiveness and efficiency of technical activities in the production and service sectors.

(f) Above all, better decision - making in all sectors and at all levels of responsibility.

 There are about 58 organizations (including NGOs) in Bangladesh engaged directly in social sciences research.⁵

In Bangladesh, Rural Development (RD) research is carried out by the following universities and organizations:

1.   University of Dhaka;

2.   University of Chittagong;

3.   Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh;

4.   Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Dhaka;

5.   Rajshahi University (RU);

6  . Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD),Comilla;

7.   Rural Development Training Institute (RDTI), Sylhet;

8  . Rural Development Academy (PDA), Bogra;

  9. Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB), Dhaka;

10. Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Dhaka;

11. National Institute of Local Government (NILG), Dhaka;

12. Social Science Research Council (SSRC), Dhaka;

13. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Dhaka;

14. Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC), Savar, Dhaka;

15. Centre on integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), Dhaka

Almost all of the above organizations/universities and Institutes have functional libraries. But the picture in most of these libraries is not encouraging. There is a paucity of personnel in RD libraries which in turn affects the quality and quantity of services offered. In fact, rural development research in Bangladesh has not been accompanied by the setting up of a national RD information infrastructure and related services.
 
In Bangladesh this calls for employment of more documentalists, librarians and information specialists capable of evaluating information and producing appropriate RD information packages.

The national information policy for development in Bangladesh (either for science and technology or rural development) remains far less well defined . However, efforts have been made to develop/define  sectoral policy for development information.

Bangladesh National Scientific and Technical Documentation Centre (BANSDOC) based in Dhaka has submitted a set of guidelines on national information policy for Science and Technology (S&T').⁶ The recommendations are awaiting follow-up
action at the Science and Technology Ministry. However, BANSDOC already houses the National Science Library (NSL) at its premises.

Agricultural Information Centre (AIC) of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) prepared a planning paper for a National Agricultural Information System (NAIS) in 1988. The proposal has been accepted by the Governing Council of BARC.⁷

Bangladesh has already established a National Health Library and Documentation Centre (NHLDC). Attempts are being made to develop such national library/documentation centre in other sectors like industries, environment and forestry.⁸ Similarly, keeping in view of changing scenarios of rural development strategies and growing demands for RD support information both at home and abroad, time has come to re-organize RD support information systems and
services with the help of modern techniques.

In the absence of a national information policy for national development it seems a good strategy to formulate and adopt sectoral information policy for rural development, and there is no other suitable organization than BARD which can bear this responsibility keeping in view the national mandate it enjoys for rural development.

The "International Seminar on Rural Development in Bangladesh: Strategies and Experiences" held in 1992 made many recommendations one of which deals with the setting up of a national information system at BARD with necessary facilities.9
Another seminar on "Rural Development Strategies in Bangladesh and Role of BARD" held in 1992 recommends that BARD should come forward to play a lead role for establishing a "National Development Support Information and Communication" network by linking up all relevant institutes like Rural Development Academy (PDA), Rural Development Training Institute (RDTI), Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB), National Institute of Local Government (NILG), Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Agricultural Information Centre (AIC) and other relevant national, regional and international organizations.10 Taking into consideration the above recommendations BARD should set up a strong library and information system for RD research, training and action research to be known as "Bangladesh Rural Development Information System (BARDIS)."

In fact, BARD is the national institute for rural development in the country. The Academy is the national link Institute for CIRDAP and also the national focal point for SAARC in the field of rural development. Apart from these, BARD has strong linkages with UNESCO, FAO, UNDP, ILO, WHO, intergovernmental agency like
ASEAN, donor agencies like JICA, USAID and DANIDA etc.¹¹ If BARD intends to retain its regional status as a centre of excellence in the field of rural development, it becomes more relevant that BARD library not only becomes the national repository of rural development literature, procured in the country but also plays a pioneer role in the development of a national rural development information and communication service system, which become indispensable for all : policy makers, planners, researchers, academicians, students and
extension workers.