A total of Tk 8 million was distributed among the beneficiaries at the 84th microloan distribution programme held at the Jagannathpur Modern Auditorium in Banchharampur on Monday afternoon.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Al Emran Khan and Bashundhara Group Adviser Moynal Hossain Chowdhury handed over the loan money to the beneficiaries at the event.
Bashundhara Foundation has been providing interest- and service-charge-free microloans in Banchharampur since 2005. The programme has subsequently been expanded to neighbouring Nabinagar upazila and Homna upazila of Cumilla.
According to the foundation, nearly 31,000 poor women from 101 villages across the three upazilas have benefited from the loan programme over the past 21 years.
Several beneficiaries said they were using the loans for income-generating activities such as poultry farming, cattle and goat rearing, and agricultural work.
They said the initiative had not only increased their family incomes but also helped them develop their own financial capacity.
Kulsuma of Durgarampur village said she had previously taken loans from Bashundhara Foundation three times and invested the money in raising ducks, chickens and goats.
She said she had made profits each time, but the money was later spent on her daughter's marriage and her son's education.
“This is my fourth loan. I want to invest the money again in an income-generating activity,” she said.
Parvin Akter of Asadnagar village said she had been taking interest-free loans from the foundation for several years.
“I started with a loan of Tk 5,000. This time I have received Tk 20,000,” she said, adding that she contributes financially to her family through farming and poultry rearing.
Momena Akter of Paratali village has received a loan five times, including the latest one.
She said she had been able to increase her family's income by using the loan money to rear cattle and goats.
Halima of Asadnagar said she invested her loan in her husband's auto-rickshaw repair and service shop.
“We are gradually expanding the business with the profits from the shop. It has brought financial relief to our family,” she said.
Speaking at the programme, UNO Md Al Emran Khan said high-interest loans often make the cycle of poverty more complicated for poor people.
“Many families fall into financial difficulties while trying to cope with the pressure of repaying loans. In this situation, Bashundhara Foundation's interest-free loan programme is giving poor people an opportunity to become self-reliant,” he said.
He said the loan scheme, which includes a three-month grace period, allows beneficiaries to invest the money in income-generating activities before they begin repayment.
“As a result, they can start businesses or other economic activities without the immediate pressure of repaying the loan,” he added.
Bashundhara Group Adviser Moynal Hossain Chowdhury said the foundation's interest- and service-charge-free microfinance programme had set an example of a humanitarian initiative.
“For more than two decades, around 31,000 women in three upazilas have been given opportunities to become financially self-reliant through this programme,” he said.
He urged the beneficiaries to use the loan money only for legitimate income-generating activities.
He also encouraged them to establish themselves financially through small enterprises and support their families.
Local residents said the foundation's social initiatives, alongside its interest-free loan programme, were making a significant impact on the lives of poor people in the area.
Many women have received training and sewing machines, while students have also received support for their education, they said.
According to local residents, such initiatives have helped many families rebuild their financial stability.
The programme was conducted by Md Chan Mia Sarker.
Among others, Bashundhara Foundation DGM Maimun Kabir, Deputy Manager Mosharraf Hossain and Shuvo Sangho Director Zakaria Zaman attended the event.
