Role of Thana training and development centre in rural development in Bangladesh : the case of Savar TTDC

Rural Development is participation of people in a mutual learning experience involving themselves, their local resources, external change agents and outside resources for their better living. This participation could be organized only through creating and strengthening rural institutions, because through rural institutions the scattered and uneducated rural people could be organized into a cohesive, disciplined and trained productive force. They could be mobilised and motivated for innovation and for increasing their productivity. Thus it is essentially true that \successful rural development in Bangladesh critically hinges on appropriate and effective rural institution\". Bangladesh is an agricultural country. Ninety percent of her population live in rural areas and are dependent on agriculture. Its agriculture has been characterised as one of the most outmoded cultivation low productivity and small holdings. The farmers are mostly illiterate passive and victims of exploitation by the influential classes in the society. But there was no effective formal organization which could organise them for the dissemination of knowledge and skill to increase their productivity. The concept of Thana Training and Development Centre (TTDC) was evolved out of this pragmatic necessity. TTDC was an innovation of Camilla Model of Rural Development. It is a model of rural administration."