Located north of Rangpur, Dinajpur district lies under Rangpur division, and has an area of 3,440 square kilometres. Dinajpur is bound by Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts in the north, and Joypurhat districts in the south, Nilphamari and Rangpur districts in the east, and in the west. The main rivers of Photo credit: BRAC the district are the Dhepa, the Realising the importance of training BRAC developed BRAC Punarbhaba, and the Atrai. Learning Centre (BLC) at Basherhat, Dinajpur.

Dinajpur is very rich in agricultural production. Katharivog, one of the best varieties of rice in health education through health residential centre used as a training is produced in volunteers (shasthya shebika) and centre for BRAC employees. Dinajpur. The district’s mango and health workers (shasthya kormi). BEP lychee are famous throughout identifies children from marginalised The Kantajew temple, Ramsagar, the country. Dinajpur is also rich families and provides them with and the Shopnopuri Artificial in natural resources. Among the basic education through its informal Amusement Park are some of the five coal fields discovered so far schools. TUP focuses on tackling tourist attractions in the city. in Bangladesh, three are located extreme poverty in multiple fronts. here. BRAC operates in Dinajpur HRLS serves the disadvantaged with components such as the community through its human rights General information microfinance, targeting the ultra and legal education (HRLE) shebikas. poor (TUP), health, nutrition and CEP is building and strengthening Population 3,109,628 population (HNPP), education community institutions to ensure Sub-distircts 8 socio-political empowerment of (BEP), community empowerment Unions 102 poor women. WASH mainly deals (CEP), water, sanitation and Villages 2,131 hygiene (WASH), human rights with encouraging people to drink Children (0-15) 528,636 and legal aid services (HRLS), pure water and use hygienic sanitary Primary schools 1,831 and integrated development latrines. IDP has been working here programmes (IDP). Among them, since 2013 at Nawabganj sub- Literacy rates 52% microfinance offers three types district, offering livelihood training Hospitals 147 of loans – dabi (microloan), and support, education support, Banks 168 progoti (enterprise loan) and health and sanitation support. A Bazaars 273 tenant farmers’ development loan BRAC learning centre (BLC) was also NGOs 79 (agricultural loan). HNPP provides establised in Dinajpur. The BLC is a

www.brac.net At a glance Human rights and legal aid services (as of December 2016) Human rights and legal education (HRLE) shebikas 642 Microfinance HRLE graduates 150,184 Branches 69 Legal aid clinics 16 Village organisations 4,184 Members 110,705 Targeting the ultra poor Borrowers 103,772 Specially targeted Progoti ultra poor (STUP) member 9,004 Small enterprise clients 6,890 Other targeted ultra Tenant farmers’ development poor (OTUP) member 7,709 project Asset and training Village organisations 1,875 received 9,004 Population covered 40,227 Health care availed 1,187 Amount of money Soft loan received 7709 disbursed 752,085,000 Integrated development Health, nutrition and population Nawabganj sub-district area Health volunteers Water, sanitation (shasthya shebika) 3,296 and hygiene Health workers (shasthya kormi) 295 Committee members 27,621 Health centre 1 Sanitation coverage 82% Loans for sanitary latrines 12,191 Community empowerment Sanitary latrines installed in school 311 Community-based organisation (polli shomaj) 512 Union-based organisation Social enterprises (union shomaj) 43 Dairy and food project Popular theatre team 16 Chilling centres 5 Education Fisheries 1 Sericulture 1 Pre-primary schools 153 Nursery 1 Primary schools 56 Shishu niketon schools 450 ADP Centres 56 Community libraries 118

Although every effort has been made to include and verify the accuracy of relevant information in this fact sheet, users are urged to check independently on matters of specific interest. Report any discrepancies/suggestions to [email protected]. This document was last updated on 31 December 2016, is revised yearly and made available on www.brac.net/visitors.