Published on 8 April 2025

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, Switzerland is committed to sustainable economic and social development and creating better income and marketing opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It promotes the rights and participation of minorities and provides important services for refugees and other particularly vulnerable groups. It also focuses on combating climate change and mitigating its impact.

Election campaigning in Bangladesh. Swiss projects support the development of a democratic society. — © SDC

Context Bangladesh

In recent years, Bangladesh has achieved significant economic growth and made remarkable progress in poverty reduction. It is likely to leave the list of least developed countries in the near future. The COVID-19 pandemic has nonetheless had a serious economic and social impact on this densely populated country, and threatens to undermine development gains made to date. Scarce resources and the negative effects of climate change are increasingly impacting on daily life.

Swiss development cooperation aims to help Bangladesh become a more prosperous, fair and resilient society. Within the framework of the Swiss Cooperation Programme for Bangladesh 2022-2025, it aims to promote economic resilience, improve access to basic services for disadvantaged communities, address climate and disaster risks, and work towards humane long-term solutions for Rohingya refugees.

Economic development

Switzerland is increasingly focusing its efforts on improving economic fundamentals. It promotes climate-resilient, eco-friendly and inclusive private sector engagement in the agriculture, small-business and service sectors. The aim is to further strengthen the economy and create suitable income opportunities for a wider section of the population.

Labour migration plays a key role in Bangladesh, and Swiss projects have helped to ensure remittances are used more sustainably. A new focus area in Bangladesh is impact investing, which is used to generate measurable social and environmental gains alongside financial returns. Switzerland’s activities in Bangladesh also encompass trade facilitation and support of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) for the financial sector.

Between 2018 and 2021, for example, Swiss development work facilitated a wide range of market-oriented vocational education and training offered by 1,520 SMEs, 13 associations and 211 clothing factories. Around 4,800 public and private service providers in the field of agricultural market development have introduced pro-poor and gender-equitable business models.

Democratic governance

In addition to sustainable, inclusive economic growth, improvements in the rule of law and good governance are essential for a functioning democracy. Swiss projects support the development of a democratic society, human rights and good basic services. This includes targeted social protection for particularly vulnerable communities, ensuring no one is left behind on the path to a prosperous society. A strong and participative civil society is vital to ensuring that the necessary political and social checks and balances are in place.

Between 2018 and 2021, 893 local authorities improved their financial management, resource mobilisation and participatory planning with the help of Swiss projects. Around 800,000 people, mainly from poor and minority communities, have benefitted from improvements to the water supply, sanitation and wastewater disposal.

Approach and main partners

In terms of cross-cutting themes, Switzerland is focusing strongly on mitigating the impact of climate change, as Bangladesh is one of the countries most affected by climate events. Furthermore, gender equality and full social inclusion are consistently mainstreamed in all projects. The principles of good governance apply across all activities. Alongside the SDC, SECO is also involved to a lesser extent.

Switzerland’s main partners in Bangladesh are:

• National ministries: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives; and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment;
• Local government institutions;
• Local civil society organisations;
• United Nations (UN) organisations: the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women);
• Swiss and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Refugees from Myanmar

As of 2024 Bangladesh is home to around one million Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority who fled from violence in Myanmar. The vast majority of Rohingya arrived in the country after being attacked and forcibly displaced in 2017. They now live in 34 camps in the border area near Cox’s Bazar. It is the world’s largest refugee camp, and conditions there remain precarious. The prospect of returning to Myanmar in the near future has further diminished since the military coup there in 2021. This poses major challenges for the host communities and authorities in Bangladesh.

Between 2017 and 2024, Switzerland invested around CHF 55 million in humanitarian aid for refugees, allowing tens of thousands of people to access drinking water, food, shelter and sanitary facilities. Access to education and income remain major challenges, however. The SDC is also involved in medium-term development activities to support the local population. Switzerland is pursuing a consistent nexus approach in Bangladesh, as protracted humanitarian crises such as the Rohingya refugee crisis can only be addressed if humanitarian aid is supplemented by resources for development cooperation.

Swiss representation in Bangladesh

Links

• Bilateral relations Switzerland-Bangladesh
• Project database

Documents

• Swiss cooperation programme Bangladesh 2022–2025

  PDF2.94 MB17 January 2022

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