Bangladesh is a founding member of The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Bangladesh contributes core support to the Centre.
The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MOCHTA) is the nodal ministry for ICIMOD in Bangladesh and the secretary of MoCHTA represents the Government of Bangladesh on the ICIMOD Board of Governors. The current Chairperson of the ICIMOD Board of Governors is the Secretary of MOCHTA, Mr N B K Tripura, ndc.

The Bangladesh-ICIMOD Partnership Day is being organized by ICIMOD in close cooperation and support with MOCHTA on 24 January 2016 with the overarching objective of strengthening ICIMOD’s engagement and enhancing partnership to mobilize support for sustainable development challenges and regional cooperation in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. It will also take stock of ICIMOD’ engagement in Bangladesh and its programmatic work with different partners during the period of ICIMOD’s Medium term Action Plan (MTAP 2013-2017) and identify areas and strategies for furthering ICIMOD’s strategic and programmatic collaboration in Bangladesh.

The main objectives are to:

to provide a platform for mutual learning, sharing, reflecting, and looking forward to new opportunities among the national partners in Bangladesh in line with the national priorities for sustainable development of Chittagong Hill Tracts;
to showcase the work of ICIMOD’s partners in Bangladesh to increase ownership and visibility, and to foster new linkages between ICIMOD and national institutions; and
to expand partnerships in Bangladesh for the implementation of ICIMOD’s regional programmes, and to explore and seek convergence with ongoing national programmes and opportunities for engagement with policy uptake including the private sector.
With the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh as the primary area of focus, ICIMOD supports MOCHTA by helping to align the priorities of the Government of Bangladesh with the needs of people of Chittagong Hill Tracts. ICIMOD works with different government agencies, development organizations, research and academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations, and explores engaging the private sector, to bring about synergies and effective implementation of its projects and programmes.

ICIMOD is working together with partners in Bangladesh in the implementation of a range of regional programmes, in particular adaptation to change, transboundary landscapes, river basins, and mountain environment regional information systems, to support the priorities of the Government of Bangladesh and achieve the Centre’s objectives for the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. The partners include more than ten strategic and policy partners, thirteen implementation partners (since 2013), and numerous knowledge and network partners.

One of the key highlights of the Bangladesh-ICIMOD Partnership in 2015 has been the instrumental role and contribution of ICIMOD in the development of ‘A Strategic Framework for Sustainable Development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh’ with MoCHTA.

The inaugural session will be held on the morning of 24 January at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka. Prof Dr Gowher Rizvi, Adviser to the Honb’le Prime Minster of the Government of Bangladesh, has kindly agreed to be the Chief Guest and Mr Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, MP, Honb’le State Minister, MOCHTA, and Mr R A M Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury MP, Honb’le Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs to be Special Guests.

It will be followed by two technical sessions focusing on Bangladesh–ICIMOD Collaboration leading to exploring future collaboration – emerging opportunities and culminating in actions for sustainable development: a way forward.

Sixty participants representing ICIMOD’s current and potential partner organizations in Bangladesh, government agencies, academic and research institutions, international development organizations, local non-governmental and community organizations, diplomats, and representatives of the private sector are expected to attend this important event.

For additional information on the event, please contact:

Dr Golam Rasul, Theme Leader, Livelihood,
ICIMOD and focal point of ICIMOD for Bangladesh
Email: golam.rasul@icimod.org
Basanta Shrestha, ICIMOD,
Email: basanta.shrestha@icimod.org

For media related matters, please contact:

Nira Gurung, Senior Communications Officer, ICIMOD,
Email: nira.gurung@icimod.org

Contacts and social media:

Event website: www.icimod.org/?q=20936
ICIMOD website: www.icimord.org
ICIMOD facebook: www.facebook.com/icimod
Twitter: @icimod
YouTube: www.youtube.com/icimod

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