A five-year project has approached 331 School Management Committees (SMC) in the northern part of Bangladesh to ensure the health and other services for the students. SMCs of Nilphamari and Rangpur in the respective areas are becoming the changemakers through their leadership and cooperation jointly with the project titled Joint Action for Nutrition Outcome (JANO).

“We never had such in-depth knowledge about menstrual health or about physical and mental changes during the menstruation period. Sanitary napkins and other hygiene materials were not even accessible to us. Menstruation often caused being absent from the classes as well.”, expressed Akhi, a high school student of Ghonirampur Boro Gola High School of Taraganj Upazila under Rangpur.

“We are working for the adolescent, we’re listening to their physical and psychological issues carefully and trying to solve their problems within our reach. We are not only solving their problems but also discussing adolescent health and nutrition, physical and psychological changes in this period of life and many other things with them”, said Anowara Begum, a Family Welfare Officer in Motukpur Union Family Welfare Center under Domar upazila of Nilphamari.

Schools play a key role in educating children about basic knowledge like health, nutrition, hygiene, etc. With the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the people of Bangladesh, especially children, got impacted not only physically and mentally but also socially, economically and culturally. Social challenges like child marriage, child labor, dropout in schools, spreading of various superstitions, etc. increased simultaneously.

Sarah Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of Practical Action, recently visited Bangladesh. During a conversation with The Daily Star’s Tanjim Ferdous, she discussed the various development initiatives that Practical Action is currently working on in Bangladesh, as well as their future plans for the country.

ActionAid, in association with The Daily Star, organised a Climate Justice Idea Competition 2022, the grand final and prize-giving ceremony of which were held on November 19, 2022, at The Daily Star Centre.

A project titled “Empowering left behind minority communities to effectively participate in the development process of Bangladesh” is being implemented by Bandhu Social Welfare Society, BLAST, Nagorik Uddyog, and WAVE Foundation with the support of Christian Aid and European Union.

In conversation with Chris Gibson, international officer and country manager for Bangladesh at the University of Manchester

Micronutrients are required for our body in minimal amounts but play a major role for human health, growth, and development. They also keep our body active and functional. All vitamins and minerals are known as micronutrients and, they are available in our food items.

“Although people with disabilities are the largest minority group in the world in terms of numbers, I didn’t even think about them before I experienced that massive accident,” said Asif Iqbal Chowdhury while sharing the story of how he founded Suborno Nagorik Foundation.

Participants in an online discussion suggested that CSR initiatives should come forward to support people with disabilities and ensure their well-being.  

Participants in an online discussion suggested that CSR initiatives should work for advancing child education in remote and hard-to-reach areas to ensure basic education for every child. 

Speakers at an online discussion suggested that CSR initiatives should contribute to the development of remote and hard-to-reach areas such as Chittagong Hill Tracts by supporting the entrepreneurs from these areas. 

A woman’s right to choose the number, timing and spacing of children is basic. Contraception is an integral part of decision-making.

Speakers at an online discussion recommended CSR initiatives provide training to young people so that they can equip themselves with the required skills and contribute to the growth of the country.  

Speakers at an online discussion recommended engaging more young people in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to make those projects more effective and sustainable.  

Speakers at an online discussion recommended Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives embrace a grassroots approach to make their interventions more effective and sustainable.

There is hardly any major infrastructure development project in Bangladesh that has not benefitted from the engineering acumen and solid leadership skills of Professor Dr Jamilur Reza Choudhury. He was not only the country’s foremost civil engineer but also a leading educationist, researcher and social activist. 

Evercare Hospital Dhaka is the only JCI-accredited 425-bed super-specialty hospital in Bangladesh. It is one of the best multi-specialty hospitals in the country for providing round-the-clock patient management, specialist doctor consultation and the highest quality healthcare in any type of medical care.

Diabetes is slowly becoming one of the most prevalent diseases in the world. According to the World Health Organisation, approximately 422 million people suffer from diabetes, with the number continuing to grow each year.