Bangladesh’s rural transformation will depend on stronger climate resilience and better access to jobs, finance, technology and markets, government and UN representatives said Thursday.
They made the remarks at a workshop on the mid-term review of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Country Strategic Opportunities Program (COSOP) 2023–2028 in Bangladesh.
Convened by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and IFAD, the workshop brought together government representatives, development partners, UN agencies, implementing institutions and rural participants.
Participants reviewed progress since 2023, assessed the COSOP’s continued relevance and identified adjustments for the remaining period, including a possible extension.
Moslema Nazneen, joint secretary of ERD, highlighted IFAD’s long-standing contribution to rural development and called for investments to support food security, employment, balanced regional development and the restoration of rivers and canals.
“The lessons of the past years are clear: keep project design simple, invest in strong implementing partners, pair infrastructure with production support, and never neglect institutional capacity,” she said.
The review found that the program is making steady progress, although results vary across areas and stronger monitoring is needed to measure its impact.
So far, the program has reached 3.58 million rural people, with women accounting for 46% of participants and young people for about 27%.
Improved water systems now serve 86% of targeted farmland, while the number of community groups managing natural resources has exceeded expectations.
Around 749,000 rural households are producing more crops and other agricultural products, while more than 258,000 households now have access to financial services, including loans and savings.
“The task is not to redefine the COSOP’s core objectives, but to sharpen implementation and strengthen the thematic emphasis, particularly around youth opportunities, productive employment and inclusive agricultural services,” said Reehana Raza, IFAD regional director for Asia and the Pacific.
She emphasized using IFAD financing to mobilize public resources, climate finance and responsible private investment.
Carol Flore-Smereczniak, UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh, highlighted IFAD’s distinctive role as both a UN specialized agency and an international financial institution.
“IFAD brings not only a mandate and technical expertise, but long-term investment financing, sovereign lending instruments, and the discipline of an institution that invests alongside government over many years,” she said.
“The results review confirms that the COSOP’s strategic direction remains highly relevant, but relevance must translate into sharper priorities, stronger execution and measurable transformation,” said Valantine Achancho, IFAD country director for Bangladesh.
“We must strengthen the link between what we deliver and what changes because of it.”
The review concluded that the COSOP’s core strategic direction remains relevant and recommended greater attention to sustainable incomes, youth skills and entrepreneurship, women’s economic empowerment, value addition, private-sector partnerships and consistent measurement of development outcomes.
It also called for the results framework to incorporate new investments, including the Growth for Climate Resilient and Environmental Entrepreneurship and Nutrition Project (GREEN) and the Climate Resilience and Livelihood Enhancement Project (CRALEP).
