Mercantile Bank Supports BAU research project
Mercantile Bank PLC has funded an agricultural research project at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) titled “Development of a Hybrid Dryer System to Reduce Crop and Fish Post-Harvest Losses,” which concluded today with a formal workshop.
The project was made possible through a donation of Tk. 1.60crore from the bank’s special Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund, enabling the university to develop and deploy innovative technology to support the nation’s farmers and fishers.
The event was presided over by Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Mojid of the Department of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, with Professor Dr. A.K. Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, Vice-Chancellor of BAU, serving as the chief patron.
Md. Zakir Hossain, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Risk Officer, Dr. Tapas Chandra Paul, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Mercantile Bank and Professor Dr. Md. Monjurul Alam, Technical Specialist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bangladesh were present as Special Guests.
The session included agricultural entrepreneurs, beneficiaries, scientists, and students.
Through this CSR donation, Mercantile Bank PLC has bridged the gap between academic innovation and field application, minimizing post-harvest losses to strengthen national food security the closing ceremony was held to present the research findings and demonstrate the effectiveness of the 19 hybrid dryers developed through this initiative.
As part of the bank & commitment to social impact, 10 of these dryers has already been distributed free of cost to users in Cox’s Bazar, Patuakhali, Satkhira, Tangail, Khagrachari, and Rangamati.
An additional six dryers are currently in the process of being distributed, while three units are being utilized by the University for Further Research.
