CARE Bangladesh Inks 5-Year MoU with IPHN and NNS

The cost of DWASA’s 'Dhaka Environmentally Sustainable Water Supply Project' has surged by Tk 28.28 billion in its third revision, raising the total estimated budget to Tk 109.75 billion—126.38% higher than the original Tk 48.48 billion approved in 2013. Despite an 11-year delay and 87% physical progress, the project remains incomplete.

Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has requested China to develop a 50-year masterplan for managing the country’s complex river and water systems, which are vital to its ecosystem but also pose significant challenges.

BRAC Bank, in partnership with VisionSpring, aims to provide eye screenings to over 46,000 individuals in 2024 under its CSR initiative, Aporajeyo Ami. Expanding beyond factory workers, the program now includes BRAC Bank's head office staff and TARA customers.

Bangladeshi medical tourists have dominated India’s medical tourism sector for years, making up nearly 70% of foreign patients. Between 2017 and 2022, their numbers grew by 48%, reaching 70.8% of total medical tourists in 2023. However, the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, 2024, led to diplomatic tensions, visa restrictions, and a sharp decline in Bangladeshi patients traveling to India.

The Shikha project, launched by the European Union and Brac, addresses gender-based violence (GBV) in Bangladesh, where recent studies show alarming rates of harassment: 80% of women in garment factories, 74% of female students, 94% of women using public transport, and 68% of women on online platforms have faced violence.

A study titled "Microfinance Competition in the Presence of Moneylenders: Theory and Evidence" found that the presence of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in rural areas significantly lowers interest rates and reduces reliance on informal moneylenders.