History of Oxfam in Bangladesh

Oxfam GB’s involvement in Bangladesh began with assisting refugees during the 1971 war for Bangladesh’s independence. 

After 1971, Oxfam’s focus in Bangladesh shifted from working with refugees to reconstructing the depleted infrastructure in the country. During that time, Oxfam donated river ferries to make transport easier; a facility that had been hit badly during the war.

From 1975, Oxfam in Bangladesh began working with local partners to assist communities rebuilding their lives. This saw the beginning of the NGO movement that has since gained tremendous momentum in the country.

Through the 1980s, Oxfam addressed key policy issues such as land reform and the national drug policy.

Land reform

The land reform work advocated for the rights of the landless to access Khas lands - government owned land that was acquired by the government after the Jamindary Law was dissolved in 1952.

This advocacy, done at the grassroots and national level, resulted in the formation of the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD).

This Association is a body of 273 NGOs, peasants, and landless organisations that are involved in the struggle to establish land rights, rights to food, rights to a livelihood, and rights of the indigenous people of Bangladesh.

ALRD is the main organisation working exclusively on land reform issues, one of the key challenges in Bangladesh today.

Drug policy reform

The drug policy reform addressed changes to support the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh and to make it pro-poor. Oxfam also provided widespread emergency relief during the floods that ravaged through the country in 1988.

Oxfam's work in Bangladesh

Oxfam works on five programmes in Bangladesh:

• humanitarian,
• livelihoods,
• gender,
• river basin,
• and indigenous peoples' development.
  

Humanitarian

Much of Bangladesh floods every year during the monsoon season and is regularly battered by devastating tropical cyclones.

Oxfam’s Humanitarian Programme aims to respond effectively to all humanitarian emergencies in the country. To achieve this, we work closely with the Government and other agencies to deliver an effective response during a humanitarian crisis. A lot of our work focuses on preparing communities in Bangladesh to handle such disasters.

> More about our humanitarian work in Bangladesh

Livelihoods

Our Livelihoods Programme is a part of our Make Trade Fair (MTF) campaign that works towards ensuring a fair trade deal for the poorest nations of the world. 

Bangladesh is a member of a national alliance campaigning against the adverse effects that international trade rules have on the country. Oxfam, through this alliance, works with garment workers (especially women), trade unions, and employers to ensure better labour standards.

> More about our livelihoods work in Bangladesh

Equality for women and men

The Gender Equality Programme works to reduce gender disparity and bring out the issue from the family to the state level. It also aims to end violence against women, focusing on domestic violence and uphold women’s rights.

The South Asia regional ‘We Can’ End all Violence Against Women campaign aims to change some of the attitudes, practices and behaviours that perpetuate violence against women in Bangladesh.

> More about our gender work in Bangladesh

River Basin Programme

The River Basin Programme addresses the needs of the poorest char (a tract of land surrounded by the waters of an ocean, sea, or lake) dwellers of Bangladesh. It works with communities to ensure that they are prepared to cope and live with disasters while at the same time empowering them to make a better living.

> More about our River Basin Programme in Bangladesh

Indigenous peoples’ development

The Indigenous People’s Capacity Building Programme began its work with indigenous people in northwest Bangladesh to ensure that they have the basic services they need.

Oxfam lobbies the government to establish the civil, political, and social rights of the indigenous people and supports and empowers them to achieve equal rights and status with the majority Bengali community.

More about our work with indigenous people in Bangladesh

Last updated: July 06