BSRM teams up with UNDP project to help reduce urban poverty

The BSRM Group, the country's largest rod producing company, on Tuesday joined a partnership programme with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to empower the urban poor.
Under this joint-programme, the two sides will finance the urban poor involved in different income-generating activities, thus empowering them economically.
The project styled Urban Partnerships for Poverty Reduction Project (UPPRP) is a UK-aided project managed by the UNDP.
This is the first time in Bangladesh a private company is funding such type of project aimed at reducing the urban poverty.
The pilot project will begin from July next. And a group of 30 people have already been selected from Jalalabad area in Chittagong city. They will be funded for goat farming.  
"Our aim is to reduce poverty by empowering the underprivileged people in urban areas," said Ruhi M. Ahmed, BSRM Head of CSR, PR & Communication.
This programme enables communities to access the much-needed government and non-government services and builds the capacity of local and national governments to reduce urban poverty.  
"BSRM intends to team up with UPPRP to be a part of such activities as a pilot project. If proved successful, we will continue to work on the long term basis with UNDP," Ms. Ahmed said. The BSRM and the UNDP signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Tuesday in Dhaka.
Speaking at a function during the MoU signing, UPPR National Project Director Mr. Abdur Rashid Khan expressed the hope that this partnership will support UPPRP in its goal to reduce poverty of three million urban poor and extreme poor people especially women and girls by improving the living and livelihood conditions.  
UPPRP's International Program Manager Per Olof Bertilsson said that this partnership will also add to the UPPRP's endeavour to sustainability by engaging the private sector.
Among others, UPPRP/UNDP representative Kishore Kumar Singh, International Poverty Reduction Specialist, Swapan Kumar Sutradhar, Extreme Poverty Expert, Mr. Abul Hossain, Urban Food Production Coordinator Kazi Anwar Ahmed, Head of Dhaka Corporate Office of BSRM Group of Companies were present at the MOU signing ceremony held at Project head office in the city.