Department of Cooperatives

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Department of Cooperatives (সমবায় অধিদপ্তর) is a Bangladesh government department under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives. It works to reduce poverty by promoting and supporting cooperative societies. It regulates cooperatives, offers training, provides financial help, and handles quasi-judicial matters related to cooperatives.

Facts at a glance:
- Formation: 1904
- Headquarters: Dhaka
- Region served: Bangladesh
- Official language: Bengali
- Parent ministry: Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives
- Website: coop.gov.bd
- Leader: Munima Hafiz, Registrar and Director General

What it does:
- Registers cooperatives and ensures they follow rules
- Conducts audits, inspections, and governance oversight
- Builds the capacity of staff through training
- Helps members build skills, save capital, and pursue self-employment
- Supports networks, publishes information, and hosts seminars
- Helps raise capital and creates cooperative-based businesses
- Empowers rural women through projects
- Brands cooperative products and links them to markets
- Develops and implements policies, programs, and projects

History in brief:
Cooperatives began in 19th-century England and spread worldwide. In Bangladesh, the movement grew after independence, with laws to promote both credit and non-credit cooperatives. Over the years, cooperatives expanded beyond farming into sectors like dairy, transport, housing, handcrafts, fish farming, and more. Key laws and institutions shaped the movement, including the Bengal Cooperative Societies Act (1940), Cooperative Ordinance (1984), Cooperative Acts (2001, 2013), and the National Cooperative Policy (2012). Today, about 175,000 cooperative societies operate with more than 10 million members, spanning various economic activities.