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Bangladesh
Why are we in Bangladesh? Bangladesh is home to over 160 million people in a country just over twice the size of Ireland, including the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. After years of remarkable progress in poverty reduction, the country now faces a major economic setback as it continues to grapple with the impacts of COVID-19, climate change, and global conflict.
After decades of progress, a series of challenges
Bangladesh is due to graduate from the UN’s Least Developed Countries list by 2026 and has shown remarkable progress in reducing poverty rates (falling from 44% in 1991 to 20.5% in 2019) and growing its economy at impressive rates (6.9% annually between 2011 and 2019). However, the country now faces additional challenges to that progress due largely to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine. While it has also made progress towards ending hunger, an estimated 36% of children under five are stunted (low height for age due to malnutrition) and 12% of children suffer acute malnutrition and are at increased risk of mortality.
Latest achievements
Rohingya response
Concern reached over 126,000 people in Cox’s Bazar in 2023. This includes over 90,000 reached with our integrated nutrition programme, which provides life-saving support to Rohingya families via 11 nutrition centres across seven refugee camps.
Disaster risk reduction
Livelihoods
Bangladesh Strategic Plan 2022- 2026
Concern Worldwide Bangladesh’s Country Strategic Plan 2022- 2026 aims to contribute to bringing sustainable, positive changes in the lives of people living in extreme poverty in Bangladesh. We will achieve this through working on five particular pillars – ensuring sustained change from our programmes (predominantly in the health, nutrition and livelihoods sectors); climate change; humanitarian action; working through partnership; and equality, diversity and inclusion.
We deliver programmes following five strategic objectives, aligned with the Government priorities outlined in the 8th Five Year Plan of the Government and with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Details of Concern's projects in Bangladesh can be found in the below document.
Halima Begum with her three-year-old son. Photo: Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/Concern Worldwide
Mohammad, a Rohingya refugee, standing in front of his garden. He received seeds and fertilizer from Concern harvests vegetables. Photo: Saikat Mojumde
In Bangladesh, we have collaborated with UNICEF, BRAC, WHO, USAID , Bangladesh Red Crescent, Biddyanondo Foundations to ensure vaccine for urban poor for preventing COVID-19.
In Bangladesh, we have collaborated with UNICEF, BRAC, WHO, USAID , Bangladesh Red Crescent, Biddyanondo Foundations to ensure vaccine for urban poor for preventing COVID-19.
Hasina's tailoring created income opportunities for her and access to financial services in Kurigram. Project: Empowering women and youth through Graduation and Financial Inclusion. Photo: Concern Worldwide
How we're helping Bangladesh
We are working hard to combat suffering and build resilience in Bangladesh. We are doing this by establishing programmes which will reduce poverty, respond to emergencies and improve health and nutrition.
Emergency response
Hunger and malnutrition
Climate & environment
Latest from Bangladesh
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