StanChart, Channel i to honour icons in agriculture
Standard Chartered and Channel i will jointly honour a number of individuals and organisations next Friday in recognition of their contribution to the country’s agriculture sector.
The Standard Chartered - Channel i Agrow Award 2019 will take place at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel in Dhaka on September 20, said Shahidul Alam Sachchu, project director of the award, at a press meet at the office of Channel i in Dhaka yesterday.
The award will be presented in eight categories: farmer of the year (male); farmer of the year (female); heroes for change; jury special; best agricultural organisation in research, innovation and technology; best agricultural organisation in support and execution; best agricultural exporter; and lifetime achievement award.
Bitopi Das Chowdhury, head of corporate affairs, brand and marketing at Standard Chartered Bangladesh, said the inclusion of Channel i would take the initiative to a new height as it has vast experience working with grassroots farmers.“Although Standard Chartered is a British bank, it is now a part of every section of the society as it has been in the country for 114 years. This award is a part of our corporate social responsibility and is designed to promote marginal farmers.”
She said Bangladesh was advancing towards becoming a middle-income country. The self-sufficiency in food production is a key reason for the progress.
Urban youths are now joining the sector and introducing innovative technological platforms which are providing farmers with better access to finance and market, Chowdhury said.
The fifth edition of the initiative has received tremendous response from the farmers. Around 200 nominations were carefully screened and verified by a jury board, said Faridur Reza Sagar, managing director of Channel i.
“I believe the Agrow Award 2019 will encourage the farming sector and farmers to grow further,” he added.
The members of the jury board are Lutful Hassan, vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University; Md Shahidur Rahman Khan, VC of Khulna Agricultural University; SK Sur Chowdhury, banking reform adviser of Bangladesh Bank; Abul Kalam Azad, director general of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute; Biresh Kumar Goswami, director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture; Yahia Mahmud, director general of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute; and Shahidul Islam, a consultant of the food ministry.
The awardees will tell their success stories at a programme to be aired on the TV on September 27 and 28. Channel i will also host a talk-show on September 19 to discuss the event. Standard Chartered has awarded 26 winners, including eight individuals and 16 organisations and institutions, since 2014.
