Our goal is to create a vibrant and equitable society across Bangladesh, where women and men are empowered, jointly exercising leadership and good governance towards building resilient communities.
Straddling in the fertile Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basin, Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with around 160 million people living in a land area of about 147,570 square kilometers. The landmass – largely a deltaic formation – coupled with climate change, makes it subject to catastrophic natural disasters. In particular, Bangladesh’s 600km coastline is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world.
Poverty is deep and widespread in the country, with almost half of its population living on less than one dollar per day.
Oxfam in Bangladesh
Oxfam’s involvement in Bangladesh began in 1970, assisting the then cyclone victims, and supporting the people of Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War. Oxfam was one of only three organizations honored as a Friend of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 2012.
Our goal is to create a vibrant and equitable society across Bangladesh, where women and men are empowered, jointly exercising leadership and good governance towards building resilient communities.
We work with a wide range of partners that include civil society organizations, NGOs, media organizations, foreign and local universities, private sector companies, along with different levels of government. To have a significant impact on poverty and inequality, we recognize that by working with international and local civil society organizations, we can increase impact at scale and bring about transformative social change.
Influencing is a core part of how Oxfam and its partners work to achieve change at all levels. We take leverage from our development interventions and try innovative solutions and models to achieve lasting impact. We build capacity of different stakeholders, and mobilize people to make their voices heard. Guided by our evidence-based research, we campaign for strategic policy and practice change.
Rohingya refugee crisis: Oxfam's response
Close to a million Rohingya people have fled violence in Myanmar to seek refuge across the border in Bangladesh. This unprecedented number of refugees has caused a large-scale humanitarian crisis. Oxfam is responding to this crisis. We are currently focusing on providing water and sanitation, food, and adapting to better deal with the crowded conditions and sheer numbers of people in the camps. (photo: Fabeha Monir/Oxfam)