Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the most populated countries in the world. This poses perpetual challenges in ensuring food security, education, decent jobs, and healthcare systems. However, the large population created an abundant supply of labour and a highly competitive labour market. For this reason, Bangladesh offers very low production costs and has become one of the most cost-efficient production hubs.  
About Bangladesh

Country Facts

  • Area in km2: 148,460
  • Population: 166.59 million
  • Capital: Dhaka

Swisscontact in Bangladesh

  • Since 1970
  • 9 running projects

Projects

Bangladesh
Green cities, Entrepreneurial ecosystems
Supporting Local Democratic Governance and Climate Resilient Public Service Provision in Bangladesh (GO4IMPact)
The GO4IMPact programme will help to make public service delivery in Bangladesh's Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and Solid Waste Management (SWM) sectors more democratic and climate-resilient by applying the Thinking & Working Politically (TWP) approach, which builds the capacity of relevant actors, improves discourse and promotes participatory and democratic decision-making processes.
Bangladesh
Labour market insertion, Upskilling and Reskilling, Entrepreneurial ecosystems
SMILE – Sustainable and Meaningful Intervention for Livelihood Enrichment
The SMILE project seeks to uplift deserving students in Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sylhet, Sunamganj and Dhaka by providing scholarships, educational campaigns, and teacher training, while also enhancing capacity development and employment opportunities for local youth, promoting cooperative governance and micro- savings, addressing health issues, and championing environmental conservation, all while exploring innovative solutions to meet community needs.
Bangladesh
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
H2O: Innovative business model for safe and affordable drinking water
Even though water has been officially recognised as a human right by the Bangladeshi government, 60% of Bangladesh’s 160 million inhabitants have no access to clean drinking water. Many people live on polluted land or with polluted groundwater. Rural and rapidly growing (sub)urban areas are not usually connected to the public drinking water supply. People collect water of questionable quality from unofficial and informal providers at high prices.
Bangladesh
Upskilling and Reskilling
Sarathi – Progress Through Improved Financial Health
Bangladesh is the world’s second largest garment exporter, with the ready-made garment (RMG) sector accounting for over 83% of the country’s exports and contributing approximately 16% to the GDP. This industry encompasses more than 4 000 RMG factories and provides employment to approximately 4.2 million workers of which almost 60% are women. Even though the RMG sector plays a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s economy, only 34% of it was integrated into the formal financial system when Swisscontact started to work towards the financial inclusion of RMG workers and their community members in 2016.
Bangladesh
Entrepreneurial ecosystems, Sustainable agriculture
Bangladesh Microinsurance Market Development Project (BMMDP) (Surokkha)
The project supports Farming Enterprises (Micro and Small) to improve resilience through using climate-sensitive microinsurance products and services, contributing to food security and inclusive economic growth of Bangladesh.

News

Bangladesh
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
05.03.2024
BICI program’s working group members gear up to support BIDA in policy reform 
Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) has hosted the workshop of the seven-part series to ensure the inter-governmental cooperation among its working group members from different Ministries, Divisions, and Agencies under the "Bangladesh Investment Climate Improvement (BICI) Program". The inaugural workshop was held at the Multipurpose Hall of BIDA on Thursday, (February 22, 2024).
Bangladesh
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
04.03.2024
PRABRIDDHI Project Expands into Cox's Bazar Municipality: Driving Sustainable Economic Development
PRABRIDDHI, a local economic development (LED) project jointly funded by Switzerland and the Government of Bangladesh, has expanded its intervention into Cox’s Bazar municipality in an effort to foster sustainable economic development at a local level. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the project and the municipality for this expansion on Monday (19 February 2024).
Bangladesh
Upskilling and Reskilling
04.03.2024
BYETS Project stepping into the field of Agro-Processing
The Building Youth Employability Through Skills (BYETS) project started its new journey in Agro Processing (AP) by partnering with renowned AP factories such as AkijBashir Group and City Group, marking the establishment of Workplace-Based Training (WBT) system that promises to reshape the future of youth employment.
Country Director Bangladesh
Mujibul (Cezanne) Hasan

Swisscontact in Bangladesh

For 50 years, Swisscontact has delivered projects throughout Bangladesh, addressing systemic constraints and creating pro-poor market systems in skills and enterprise development. These projects resulted in creating thousands of decent jobs and improved livelihood options, food security, youth and women’s economic empowerment, financial inclusion and economic growth. 

Besides, Swisscontact incorporates gender equality and social inclusion, environmental responsibility, and good governance across all its projects as sustainability criteria. The organisation operates from a country office based in Dhaka with five additional field offices and employs over 90 long-term national and international staff. 

Our partners
Swisscontact South Asia has been successfully working with partners below for implementing projects.
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Bangladesh
Entrepreneurial ecosystems, Labour market insertion
Katalyst
Improving Business, Improving Lives.

Between 2000 and 2017, Katalyst has benefitted 4.69 million SMEs and farmers with an income increase in USD 689 million. It is the largest market development project in South Asia.

Regional Reports South Asia

The 2021and 2023 regional reports are being updated and will be ready soon.

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Contact

Swiss­con­tact 
House 28, Road 43, Gulshan 2
Dhaka 1212,  
Bangladesh