Mymensingh Mymensingh is a district located in central Bangladesh, part of the Dhaka division. It is one of the closest districts to Dhaka, only 118 kilometres away from the capital city. Mymensingh is clearly marked by the old Brahmaputra river flowing along in the north. The people of Mymensingh are involved mostly in agriculture for their source of income. Photo credit: BRAC

Mymensingh district was also BRAC bull station in Mymensingh. Artificial Insemination enterprisewas known for jute production. Jute set up to create synergies with the BRAC Dairy enterprise as livestock is is termed the ‘golden fiber’ due considered an important tool in poverty alleviation. to the revenue it generated as a cash crop. Apart from Bengalis, Mymensingh has indigenous social enterprises such as artificial inhabitants like Garo, Hajong, Koch, insemination, recycled handmade Dhalu, Bangshi, Barman,Khumi and paper, sericulture, poultry and General information Malpaharipeople. BRAC operates nursery. These are directly helping most of the core programmes here to create job opportunities for Population 5,313,163 such as microfinance, education hundreds of women. Sub-districts 13 (BEP), community empowerment Unions 146 (CEP), health, nutrition and Many traditional rituals are Villages 2,758 population (HNPP), human rights observed every year in Primary schools 1,245 and legal aid services (HRLS), Mymensingh. Among them is the Literacy rate 44% gender justice and diversity colourful Wanna (harvest) festival, Hospitals 5 (GJD), and migration programme. held at the beginning of the BRAC’s new initiative, the skills harvesting season at Haluaghat. NGOs 180 development programme, is Garo Hilltracts, Muktagacha Banks 80 providing holistic skills development Jamider Bari, Mymensingh Bazaars 571 training and decent employment Museum, Alexandra Castle, Gospel opportunities to enable young Church, Shashi Lodge are some of women and men to rallise their the most visited tourist spots in the full potential. Apart from that, district. BRAC also established few of its

www.brac.net At a glance Gender justice and diversity MEJNIN (meyeder jonne nirapad (as of December 2016) nagorikotta - safe citizenship for women) Microfinance Student watch groups 35 Student watch group Branches 49 members 875 Village organisations 2,675 Community watch group 35 Members 171,038 Community watch group Borrowers 77,907 members 525 Progoti Small enterprise clients 7,888 Migration Safe migration facilitation Health, nutrition centre (SMFC) 1 and population Unions 22 Community-based organisation Health workers (CBO) facilitators 4 (shasthya kormi) 631 Volunteers 22 Health volunteers (shasthya shebika) 5,806 Education Community empowerment Pre-primary schools 285 Primary schools 283 Community-based organisation Shishu niketon schools 278 (polli shomaj) 490 ADP centres 297 Union-based organisation Community libraries 57 (union shomaj) 49 Education support programme 111 Popular theatre groups 15 Social enterprises Skills development Artificial insemination 1 Number of master craft Nursery 1 persons (MCPs) 152 Poultry rearing farm 1 Number of trades 7 Recycled handmade paper 1 Number of graduate learners 304 Sericulture 1

Human rights and legal aid services Human rights and legal education (HRLE) shebikas 618 HRLE graduates 2,189 Legal aid clinics 14

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.