Although Bangladesh is an agrarian country in character, having 73%
population living in rural areas, she is passing through a transition period in
term of economic growth. The present trend is that people of rural areas are
moving towards urban areas for seeking employment or are engaging
themselves in non-farm activities leaving agricultural activities. All these are
happening owing to better off of living standard and lifting from poverty
threshold. According to the World Bank Report 2013, as many as four crore 70
lakh people of Bangladesh are living below the poverty line and of them, two
crore 60 lakh live in extreme poverty. The poverty rate is the highest in rural
areas at 36 per cent, compared with 28 per cent in urban centre. In this
backdrop, it can be said that national development is not possible without the
development of these people. Leadership in power takes various steps for
development. But it is not possible for them alone. Efforts from private sectors
like non-government organisations, voluntary organisations as well as
individual initiatives can enhance the development pace for over all
development of the country. Among the individual initiatives, Noble Peace
Laureate, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus is the exponent of social business
which can lead Bangladesh towards development. This paper will discuss
definition of social business and its purposes as well as its impact on rural
development in Bangladesh.
