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Making Markets Work for the Chars (M4C) in Northern Bangladesh

Project completed

Among the most vulnerable people in Bangladesh are the 2 million dwellers living on small river islands –Chars - in the north of Bangladesh. The Chars Livelihood Programme (CLP), a large DFID funded asset transfer programme, is supporting the Chars since 2004 through a package of core support, centred around upgrading of basic infrastructure (e.g. raising homestead plinths, installing latrines), combined with a core economic package of productive assets (e.g. livestock) and 18 months stipends for extreme poor households. While CLP is successful in its core, concerns about long term sustainability of the underlying market systems are not addressed in a systematic manner and questions about how to safeguard and further extend the economic gains initiated through asset transfer remain open. M4C tackles this challenge in close collaboration with DFID/CLP and links large-scale asset transfer with mar-ket development aiming at sustainable systemic changes on the Chars.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Bangladesh
Employment & economic development
Industrial policy
Business support & economic inclusion
Rural development
01.12.2011 - 31.01.2017
 CHF  8’200’000
The project in brief
Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
Swiss Non-profit Organisation
  • Swisscontact


Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    8’200’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    8’051’983
Project phases Phase 3 01.07.2020 - 31.12.2024   (Current phase) Phase 2 01.02.2017 - 30.06.2020   (Completed)

Phase 1 01.12.2011 - 31.01.2017   (Completed)

  • Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation INDUSTRY
    BUSINESS & OTHER SERVICES
    OTHER MULTISECTOR
    Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation
    Industrial policy and administrative management
    Business support services and institutions
    Rural development
    Cross-cutting topics The project takes account of gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.
    The project takes account of democratisation, good governance and human rights as cross-cutting themes.
    Type of support Official development assistance (ODA)
    Type of collaboration Bilateral cooperation
    Finance type Aid grant
    Aid Type Mandate with fiduciary funds
    Tied/untied aid Untied aid
    Project number

    7F07952

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Last update 05.12.2024