FCDO Development Director Series: Bangladesh

Join us as we host Matt Cannell, the Development Director in Bangladesh for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) who will present FCDO’s development strategy, programming and pipeline of opportunities in Bangladesh.

According to the FCDO, Bangladesh has held an average economic growth of 6% since 2003 and has halved its poverty rate between 1990 and 2010. However, despite Bangladesh’s progress, 37 million people still live in poverty, including 21 million in extreme poverty. The country faces vulnerability to natural disasters such as floods and cyclones. Unstable politics, poor governance, and social issues such as Gender Based Violence, Early marriage, and rising Extremism pose challenges. Additionally, since August 2017, an influx of over 688,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar has resulted in a major humanitarian crisis, with the UK committed to assisting Bangladesh with the vulnerable host-communities but also with both the short term and mid-term effects of the refugee.

Matt Cannell will offer us updates on the current context on the ground as well as insights into FCDO’s development strategy in the country.

Agenda:

BEI Introduction: 10 min

Presentation from Matt Cannell, FCDO Bangladesh Development Director: 15 – 20 min

Q&A: 30 min