In Bangladesh, Switzerland works with its partners to promote sustainable economic and social development. It works to improve market and working conditions and promote the rights and participation of minorities, women and young people to pave the way for a prosperous, just and inclusive society. It is thereby also helping Bangladesh to tackle the negative consequences of climate change.
Bangladesh
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In recent years, Bangladesh has achieved significant economic growth and made remarkable progress in poverty reduction and social development. It is on the cusp of transitioning out of the least developed countries category. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous socio-economic impact on this densely populated country and threatens to undermine development gains made to date. Scarce resources and the negative effects of climate change are having an increasingly significant impact on daily life.
Swiss development cooperation seeks to help make Bangladeshi society more prosperous, fair and resilient. The Swiss Cooperation Programme for Bangladesh 2022–25 focuses on promoting economic resilience, improving access to basic services for disadvantaged populations, addressing climate and disaster risks, and working towards dignified long-term solutions for Rohingya refugees.
| Swiss Bilateral ODA | 2022 mill. CHF |
2023 mill. CHF |
2024 * mill. CHF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) | |||
| Bilateral development cooperation | 27.47 | 23.39 | 24.00 |
| Humanitarian aid | 7.22 | 6.21 | 3.80 |
| State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) | |||
| Economic Cooperation and Development | 0.77 | 2.38 | 0.35 |
| Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) | |||
| Conflict transformation and human rights | - | - | - |
| Total SDC/SECO/PHRD | 35.46 | 31.98 | 28.15 |
| Other Federal Offices | |||
| Other FDFA Divisions (ASAF, AIO, aso) | - | - | .. |
| Network of FDFA representations abroad | 2.04 | - | .. |
| State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) | 0.02 | - | .. |
| State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) | 0.04 | 0.07 | .. |
| MeteoSwiss | - | - | - |
| Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) | - | - | - |
| Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) | - | - | .. |
| Federal Statistical Office (FSO) | - | - | - |
| Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) | - | - | - |
| State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF) | - | - | - |
| Total other Federal Offices | 2.10 | 0.07 | - |
| Cantons and municipalities | 0.70 | .. | .. |
| Total | 38.26 | 32.05 | 28.15 |
Data status at 02.04.2024
* planned; total based on available data
.. = figures not available | – = nil or amount < 5'000 CHF
Economic development
Sustainable and inclusive private sector engagement
Switzerland is increasingly focusing its efforts on improving economic fundamentals. It promotes climate-resilient, eco-friendly and inclusive private sector engagement in industries such as agriculture, precision engineering and textile and leather processing. The aim is to further strengthen the local economy and create suitable income opportunities for all sections of the population. Economic development activities also encompass trade facilitation and SECO's support for the financial sector.
Switzerland also provides, in close cooperation with the private sector, market-oriented vocational training in order to enable young people to find employment or a better job. To increase private sector engagement in the fight against poverty, it supports social enterprises and insurance providers.
Democratic governance
Improved social well-being for all
Improvements in the rule of law and good governance are essential for sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Swiss projects consequently also promote the development of democratic state institutions, human rights and high-quality basic services. To ensure that no one is left behind as Bangladeshi society progresses towards prosperity, the projects offer targeted social protection for particularly vulnerable people. To enable civil society to provide the necessary checks and balances, Switzerland also works to strengthen the voice and participation of civil society stakeholders. All of these factors play a key role in sustainable development that leaves no one behind.
Myanmar refugee crisis
In 2021, Bangladesh hosted over 900,000 people who had fled the violence in Myanmar and taken refuge in the border area of Cox's Bazar. A large majority of these refugees had sought refuge in Bangladesh between 2017 and 2019. Cox's Bazar's 34 camps constitute the world's largest refugee camp.
The 2021 military coup in Myanmar added a new level of complexity to the Rohingya refugee crisis and has created major challenges for the Bangladeshi authorities and host communities. Furthermore, the Bangladeshi government has recently started resettling Rohingya refugees on the remote island of Bhasan Char.
In response to the scale of needs since the country began to experience an escalation of violence in 2017, Switzerland has allocated over CHF 45 million in assistance (this sum includes funds budgeted for 2022). This humanitarian commitment has enabled the refugees to gain access to drinking water, food, shelter and sanitation. Access to education and income remain major challenges, however. In addition to emergency aid for the refugees, the SDC is supporting medium-term development activities in the region aimed at providing assistance to local host communities.
The refugee problem has long become a protracted and highly complex crisis. Despite a wide range of efforts, the necessary conditions for the dignified, safe, voluntary and permanent return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar are not in place. Switzerland will continue to advocate for humane housing for refugees and take an active part in the search for a more lasting solution to the refugee problem.
Approach and partners
Switzerland's transversal activities focus strongly on climate and disaster risk reduction, as Bangladesh is one of the most affected countries. Furthermore, gender equality and social inclusion are consistently mainstreamed in all projects. Good governance principles are also taken into account in all programmes.
Swiss development cooperation and humanitarian aid are coordinated to ensure complementarity. The implementing partners are the Bangladeshi government, national and international organisations and the private sector.
Links
Documents
Current projects
Selection
Rising Together - Building Resilient & Inclusive Communities through Women & Youth Empowerment
15.11.2024
- 14.11.2026
The project aims to address widespread Gender-Based violence against women and girls in both Rohingya refugee and host communities, as well as the need for skill development among youth, in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char. In partnership with UNFPA, Switzerland aims to improve protection services and provide training opportunities, thereby reinforcing its commitment to gender equality and social inclusion.
Catalyst for a Harmonised Approach on Nexus for Growth and Empowerment (CHANGE)
01.10.2024
- 30.09.2027
Switzerland is leading the humanitarian-development nexus approach to the protracted Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh through five UN agencies, which will work to mainstream and institutionalise cross-sectoral cooperation by strengthening the capacity of local non-governmental organisations. This will not only improve assistance to refugees and advance durable solutions, but also promote local ownership and leadership of the Rohingya response, ultimately reducing costs.
Emergency Appeal- Floods -2024
06.09.2024
- 31.10.2025
Through this International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies appeal, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society will address the needs of the flood affected communities by providing support for shelter, food security, livelihoods, health, water, sanitation, and hygiene in targeted regions within Bangladesh.
MICS: Building national statistical capacity for SDG data collection, analysis and reporting in Bangladesh
01.07.2024
- 31.12.2025
This project aims to gather crucial data on children's and women's well-being through the 'Multi Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS)' to contribute in policy design. Additionally, it aims to enhance national statistical capacity to collect internationally comparable estimates of key indicators for monitoring SDGs and national priorities. The project will continue Switzerland's long-standing tradition of supporting data and statistical capacity in developing countries.
CALL - Climate Action at local Level
01.04.2024
- 16.11.2026
As Bangladesh undergoes a political transition, climate change remains a key priority for both the Government and civil society alike. With this programme, Switzerland wiII use its expertise and that of Swiss and local NGOs to support highly vulnerable communities to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. This will ultimately contribute to reducing the costs of the impact of climate change for Bangladesh, including its impact on the economy.
Strengthened and Informative Migration Systems (SIMS) Phase II
01.04.2024
- 31.03.2029
Switzerland is interested in ensuring that international migration is regular, secure, respects human dignity and the rights of migrants. The project will institutionalise well tested awareness mechanisms on the perils of irregular migration and enhance further public and private capacities to deliver services to potential migrants. The intervention contributes to Switzerland’s dialogue on safe, orderly and regular migration at national and global levels.
Access 2 Green Financing for Enterprises
01.01.2024
- 31.12.2035
Building on Switzerland’s experience with innovative access to finance avenues, this programme facilitates mobilising green finance for small and medium sized enterprises in Bangladesh. The focus is on enterprises that have a strong commitment to reducing their environmental footprint and to providing green products and services in order to address climate change and reduce environmental degradation.
Scaling Social & Impact Enterprises
01.01.2024
- 31.10.2027
Capitalising on Switzerland’s position as a frontrunner in supporting the impact investing ecosystem in Bangladesh, this flagship programme continues with the agenda to incentivise impact enterprises to enhance their impact creation thereby increasing their potential to scale and intensify their positive social and environmental contribution. This will be done by bridging the unmet gaps to secure appropriate non-development financing, institutionalising impact investing and setting a blueprint for regional replication.
WFP: Building Resiliency & Self-Reliance
15.11.2023
- 15.11.2025
The Swiss contribution to the World Food Programme’s Country Strategic Programme will foster and enhance resiliency through agricultural skilling and increased access to income, allowing for the Rohingya refugees to become more self-reliant and support their basic needs. As a contributor to a multi-donor framework, Switzerland can simultaneously leverage durable solutions advancement in the Rohingya response while ensuring service delivery for the most vulnerable in the refugee camps.
Bangladesh Microinsurance Market Development Programme
01.07.2023
- 31.12.2027
This programme takes forward Switzerland’s global and in-country experience in working on agricultural microinsurance by addressing critical climate risks, hazards and resulting economic shocks for farming people. The programme will sustainably increase resilience of farmers and related micro and small enterprises through climate change adaptation practices, and stimulate sustainable and inclusive growth across multiple agricultural sub-sectors.
Ashshash – for men and women who have escaped trafficking
01.06.2023
- 31.05.2027
Switzerland has an interest in ensuring that international migration is regular, secure, and respects human dignity and the rights of migrants. The programme will support men and women who have escaped trafficking to reintegrate into society, raise awareness on the perils of irregular migration and improve public and private capacities to deliver services to victims of trafficking. The intervention contributes to Switzerland’s political dialogue on safe, orderly and regular migration at the global level.
Access to Green Financing for Enterprises
01.06.2023
- 31.10.2027
Building on Switzerland’s experience with innovative access to finance avenues, this programme facilitates mobilising green finance for small and medium sized enterprises in Bangladesh. The focus is on enterprises that have a strong commitment to reducing their environmental footprint and to providing green products and services in order to address climate change and reduce environmental degradation.
