Making Markets Work for the Chars (M4C) in Northern Bangladesh

Project completed

Among the most vulnerable people in Bangladesh are the 2 million dwellers living on small river islands –Chars - in the north of Bangladesh. The Chars Livelihood Programme (CLP), a large DFID funded asset transfer programme, is supporting the Chars since 2004 through a package of core support, centred around upgrading of basic infrastructure (e.g. raising homestead plinths, installing latrines), combined with a core economic package of productive assets (e.g. livestock) and 18 months stipends for extreme poor households. While CLP is successful in its core, concerns about long term sustainability of the underlying market systems are not addressed in a systematic manner and questions about how to safeguard and further extend the economic gains initiated through asset transfer remain open. M4C tackles this challenge in close collaboration with DFID/CLP and links large-scale asset transfer with mar-ket development aiming at sustainable systemic changes on the Chars.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Bangladesh
Employment & economic development
Industrial policy
Business support & economic inclusion
Rural development
01.12.2011 - 31.01.2017
CHF  8’200’000
Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
Swiss Non-profit Organisation
  • Swisscontact


Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    8’200’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    8’051’983
Project phases Phase 3 01.07.2020 - 31.12.2024   (Current phase) Phase 2 01.02.2017 - 30.06.2020   (Completed)

Phase 1 01.12.2011 - 31.01.2017   (Completed)