The agreements for two projects have been formally signed by the government of Bangladesh and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The projects are “Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh, Phase-III” (AVCB) and “Partnerships for a More Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh, Phase-II”.
Sharifa Khan, the secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), who was in attendance to represent Bangladesh, and Stefan Liller, the resident representative of the UNDP, participated in the signing ceremony, which was moderated by UN Wing Chief AKM Sohel, according to a press release from the ERD.
The Local Government Division’s project, Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh, Phase-III, aims to improve Village Courts nationwide as efficient forums for regional dispute settlement.
The project has a US$50,016,785 total budget, of which the European Union ($28,376,844), the Government of Bangladesh ($18,639,941), and UNDP ($3,000,000) each contribute. This phase expands operations to about 3,041 additional Union Parishads (UPs), building on the success of earlier activations in 1,416 UPs.
The ICT Division’s Partnerships for a More Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh, Phase-II programme aims to involve young in the promotion of peace, tolerance, and inclusivity. The initiative equips young activists to combat radicalism and hatred, promoting a peaceful society.
With contributions from UNDP ($326,472), Norway ($424,528), and the government of Bangladesh ($6,453 in matching funds), the total cost of this phase is US$757,453.
Senior officials from the Bangladeshi government, the European Union, the Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka, and the UNDP were present at the ceremony.
