Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA)

About Us

The part of greater Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Rangpur and Bogra District of Bangladesh and the Indian territorial Maldah District of West Bengal is geographically identified as Barind Tract. The hard red soil of these areas is very significant in comparison to that of the other parts of the country.  The Rajshahi Barind Tract is located in between 24 degree 23 minute to 25 degree 15 minute north latitude and 88 degree 2 minute to 88 degree 57 minute east longitude. A typical dry climate with...

The part of greater Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Rangpur and Bogra District of Bangladesh and the Indian territorial Maldah District of West Bengal is geographically identified as Barind Tract. The hard red soil of these areas is very significant in comparison to that of the other parts of the country.  The Rajshahi Barind Tract is located in between 24 degree 23 minute to 25 degree 15 minute north latitude and 88 degree 2 minute to 88 degree 57 minute east longitude. A typical dry climate with comparatively high temperature prevails in Barind area except for the wet season beginning from mid June to October. Rainfall in the area varies from about 1500 mm to 2000 mm. Temperature ranges from 4 degree Celsius to 44 degree Celsius. The total cultivable area being 1.44 million acres, out of which 34% is loamy, 10% is Sandy, 49% is clayed and the rest of 7% is others. Out of the total cultivable land, 84% are single cropped, 13% are double cropped and the rest are triple cropped. The cropping intensity was 117%.  The Rajshahi Barind Tract was much flourished and the Socio-economic activities were much better in comparison to that of the other part of the country before 1947. In that time the area was well communicated to Kolkata, the capital city of west Bengal, now in India. Trade and commerce was much dependent on Kolkata and this Region was the hinterland of Kolkata port.  After partition of India communication, trade and commerce of this region with Kolkata was ceased totally and all the socio-economic activities almost came to a hault. As there was no well road linkage to the other part of the country, even to capital city Dhaka; no effort could make any development or any upliftment of the socio-economic structure of this region. As days passed by, this tract of land had fallen behind in all phases of development and economic activities could not be generated much. Further, the latest development in industrialization within the country could not make any headway in this Region. As a result the standard of living of the people of this region came to a lower level compared to that of the other parts of the country.  In 1985 the Government approved a project named “Barind Integrated Area Development Project” under the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation. In 1990 the project was declared complete using only 26% of the fund allocated. On completion of the project a review was conducted and to speed up the development project implementation of the Barind area a separate authority was created named Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) on 15 th January 1992 under the ministry of Agriculture. The authority has so far implemented 30 (Thirty) development projects.