TBM Report ||
Bangladesh and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have initiated a comprehensive mid-term review of their joint rural development strategy, shifting focus toward connecting climate resilience directly with employment, technologies, and market access.
Organized jointly by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and IFAD on Thursday, September 4, 2026, the workshop evaluated the progress of the Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) 2023–2028 and discussed strategic realignments alongside a potential timeline extension.
Highlighting IFAD’s long-standing partnership, ERD Joint Secretary Moslema Nazneen urged higher investments in food security, balanced regional growth, and canal restoration. She stressed simplifying project designs, strengthening institutional capacities, and pairing infrastructure projects with direct production support.
The mid-term evaluation revealed that the program has successfully reached 3.58 million rural citizens, with women constituting 46 percent and youth accounting for 27 percent of total beneficiaries. Furthermore, 749,000 households reported increased agricultural yields, while 258,000 families gained access to formal financial services.
IFAD Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Reehana Raza emphasized that future interventions must sharpen execution around youth entrepreneurship, productive employment, and inclusive agricultural services rather than altering core targets.
United Nations Resident Coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak and IFAD Country Director Valantine Achancho highlighted the importance of leveraging sovereign lending instruments and private capital to fund new climate initiatives such as the GREEN and CRALEP projects.
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