Agriculture and rural economic activities have received the second-largest allocation, Tk 100 billion, in the Bangladesh Bank's (BB) newly announced Tk 600-billion stimulus package.
The central bank unveiled the package last month to revive economic growth.
The package also includes a separate Tk 30 billion fund to develop the northern region into an agriculture-based hub and a Tk 20 billion facility for frozen shrimp and fish exports.
Besides, Tk 50 billion has been allocated through Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) to support cottage, micro, and small enterprises, says a Bangladesh Bank official.
According to the central bank, the overall stimulus package is expected to generate employment for around 2.5 million people.
Of them, nearly 0.9 million jobs are projected to be created in agriculture and rural economic activities, including crop production, agricultural labour, and food processing.
The package also includes a Tk 5.0 billion startup fund - outside the Tk 100 billion allocation - for entrepreneurs seeking to enter agriculture with innovative business ideas, central bank officials say.
Md Tariqul Islam Zaheer, senior vice president of the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA), says shrimp and frozen fish exports have been declining for the last 10 years.
He says the package could be a good incentive for the sector and the government should ensure genuine businesses receive the support.
Agricultural economist Prof Golam Hafeez Kennedy says Bangladesh's overall economy has been going through a tough time for half a decade.
He says the new stimulus package could help inject the desired capital into the economy and encourage investments.
"New entrepreneurs entering agriculture and those planning large-scale investments in agriculture and livestock would be particularly encouraged," he says.
"We expect that proper implementation of the package would boost food production alongside investment, while creating jobs through both the existing and new entrepreneurs.
"Genuine farmers and farm-based entrepreneurs would get easier access to financial support," he adds.
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