RDRS Bangladesh, in collaboration with the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP), GFATM, and BRAC, is spearheading the "Integrated Tuberculosis Care and Prevention" project in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram districts.

This initiative aims to enhance TB case findings, strengthen the health system, and ensure sustainability in combating tuberculosis. With an extensive reach, the project targets over 3.8 million participants, providing comprehensive TB diagnosis, treatment, and care through an established network of DOT centers, microscopy centers, and Gene X-pert centers. The project's significant impact is evident in the increased community awareness and higher detection rates of TB cases, contributing to a 95% treatment success rate in the supported areas.

By addressing TB, this project directly contributes to SDG-3, which focuses on ending the epidemics of AIDS, TB, malaria, and other communicable diseases, ensuring good health and well-being for all.

RDRS Bangladesh is working to improve the health of mothers and babies in Rangpur and Lalmonirhat districts. Our "Strengthening the Maternal and Neonatal Health System in Rangpur, Bangladesh" project, in partnership with Save the Children and KOICA, is helping thousands of pregnant women and young children get the care they need. The project targets over 54,821 newborns, 79,762 children under the age of two, 219,203 pregnant women, and numerous women of reproductive age, along with their families.

Our mission is to ensure safe pregnancies and healthy births by improving access to quality healthcare services. By deploying and training health workers, renovating health facilities, and providing essential medical supplies, we aim to create a supportive environment for maternal and neonatal health. This initiative is more than just a healthcare project; it’s a commitment to building stronger, healthier communities.

The project also addresses the pressing issue of child marriage, promoting gender equality and reproductive health education. Through community engagement and government collaboration, we strive to change societal norms and empower women to make informed health decisions.

RDRS Bangladesh, in partnership with the Stromme Foundation, is implementing the Socio-Economic Empowerment with Dignity and Sustainability (SEEDS) Project. This initiative targets 3,000 families from marginalized communities, including indigenous groups, women, youth, and children, in Mithapukur, Badargonj, and Pirgonj Upazilas of Rangpur district.

The SEEDS Project strives to improve the socio-economic well-being of vulnerable families, empowering them to escape poverty with dignity and sustainability. Aligned with multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including No Poverty, Good Health, Quality Education, Gender Equality, and Climate Action, this initiative seeks to create positive change in communities.

Key activities encompass skill development, formation of self-reliant groups, vocational training, and capacity building for community members to assert their rights and hold local governments accountable. Additionally, the project focuses on providing quality education, empowering adolescents, and promoting sustainable income generation through green jobs and climate-resilient technologies.

RDRS Bangladesh is committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn. Our Out of School Children Education Program (OoSCEP) is bringing education to the doorstep of children aged 8-14 who have been unable to attend school.

With support from the Bureau of Non-formal Education, we're operating in Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, and Panchagarh districts, reaching over 135,000 people, including 44,708 children.

By establishing 165 learning centers and providing essential learning materials, we're helping these children build a strong foundation for their future. This program directly contributes to SDG 4: Quality Education by providing inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

RDRS Bangladesh is committed to ending the scourge of slavery and human trafficking. Our Fight Slavery and Trafficking in Persons (FSTIP) project, in partnership with USAID-Winrock International, is focused on protecting vulnerable people in northern Bangladesh, including expectant migrants, young people at risk of trafficking, CM survivors, single mothers, ethnic minorities, and trafficked survivors.

The project aims to benefit a total of 10,72,176 individuals, including 22,176 direct participants. Implemented across 60 unions within 15 upazilas of Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Joypurhat, and Sirajganj districts. The project aligns with SDG goals 1 (No Poverty), 5 (Gender Equality), and 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

By preventing trafficking, providing support to survivors, and strengthening the justice system, we aim to create a safer and more just society for all. We're working hard to ensure that no one falls victim to this heinous crime.

RDRS Bangladesh is on a mission to transform early childhood education in Moulvibazar and Habiganj. In partnership with USAID and Sesame Workshop Bangladesh, we're implementing the Promoting Education for Early Learners Project to create inclusive and stimulating learning environments for young children. Our project participant target is 15,000 learners annually, along with their parents and 1,250 teachers of Private Primary Schools.

Our goal is to help every child, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, reach their full potential. We're achieving this by training teachers in inclusive teaching methods, developing engaging educational materials, and working closely with parents and communities.

By investing in early education, we're not only improving children's learning outcomes but also building stronger, more inclusive communities.

RDRS Bangladesh, in partnership with NRK Telethon, Norway, is determined to break the cycle of early and forced marriage in Kurigram district, one of Bangladesh's most impoverished regions. Targeting adolescents and youth aged 13-24, their families, and community leaders, this project aims to empower young people, particularly girls, to make informed choices about their future.

With a direct reach of 18,975 individuals and an indirect impact on 384,868 community members across 45 unions, the project is creating a ripple effect of positive change. By establishing youth platforms, providing life skills training, and economic empowerment opportunities, the project is equipping young women with the tools to build resilient lives and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

This initiative directly aligns with SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls and SDG 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. Through holistic programming, the project is not only preventing child marriage but also fostering a more equitable and prosperous future for the people of Kurigram.

RDRS Bangladesh, in partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is committed to improving the lives of the most vulnerable communities in northern Bangladesh. The Core Comprehensive Program focuses on enhancing access to essential health services, particularly for women and children, within disaster-prone regions of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Rangpur, and Jamalpur districts.

The initiative targets approximately 114,965 individuals, including women, adolescent girls, youths, eye patients, students, and disadvantaged people from the Rangpur Division. The project also emphasizes sexual and reproductive health support, eye care services, and rehabilitation for visually impaired children. The project also supports pregnant mothers at risk of natural disasters.

Key highlights of the project include the initiation of ophthalmological operations at the RDRS eye care center, with 778 patients operated on in the first month, training 125 women as community health promoters, conducting 17 eye camps to identify cataract patients, teaching the Braille system to 10 visually impaired students, and supporting the delivery of 230 high-risk pregnant mothers. This comprehensive project aligns with SDG Goal #3: Good Health and Well-being.

RDRS Bangladesh is implementing the ASHA Project: Impact of Depression Treatment and Economic Strengthening Intervention for Low-Income Women in Rural Bangladesh: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. The project is being implemented in partnership with icddr,b and the University of Massachusetts, USA. The project focuses on low-income women in rural Bangladesh. The primary beneficiaries are 660 low-income women residing in Birganj Upazila of Dinajpur District.

The project addresses the alarming mental health crisis identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), which highlights a significant global burden of mental and psychiatric disorders. This project aims to fill that gap by conducting a community-based study of mental health problems in rural Bangladesh.

Our goal is to create a ripple effect of positive change, empowering women to become self-sufficient and contributing members of their communities. Our project tackles the interconnected issues of mental health and economic hardship. By offering comprehensive support, we're working to break the cycle of poverty and create sustainable solutions. The project aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

RDRS Bangladesh is implementing the project titled "Alliance for Combating TB in Bangladesh." The project is being implemented in partnership with icddr’b and USAID. This project aims to reduce the burden of tuberculosis (TB) among children in the Rangpur division. Despite rising notification rates, childhood TB remains significantly underreported in this region.

The specific objectives of the project include achieving at least a 6% childhood TB detection rate among total TB patients by 2026, developing the capacity of service providers and stakeholders in childhood TB, and establishing a referral mechanism for effective screening, identification, and treatment. To achieve these objectives, RDRS Bangladesh conducts various activities such as basic staff training, active case finding within healthcare facilities, orientation sessions with Graduate Practitioners (GPs), inception meetings, integration with the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) program, and awareness sessions in schools and for RDRS federation members.

Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), the project anticipates challenges such as the potential transfer of trained doctors, closure of community-based DOTS centers on weekends and holidays, sustaining partnerships with private healthcare providers, and potential drug shortages. The primary target community includes Upazila Health Complexes, District Hospitals, Medical Colleges, Schools, and Federation Members.

RDRS Bangladesh is implementing Combating Early Marriage in Bangladesh project in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Lalmonirhat districts. The project is being implemented in partnership with Plan International Bangladesh. The target community of the project is district CMPC members with 334 programme participants of the project areas. The Combating Early Marriage in Bangladesh project is designed in line with SDG -5 (Gender Equality).  

The Government of Bangladesh has set a goal of eliminating child marriage by 2041 from the country in line with target 5.3 of SDG. To achieve this goal, GoB has set two intermediate targets for 2021 which will contribute to the 2041 goal. The first one is to reduce the existing child marriage prevalence rate for girls under 18 by a third and, the second is to bring down the existing prevalence rate for child marriage of girls below age 15 to zero. In this context, RDRS Bangladesh has initiated this project to address the Vision 2041 of the government and the targets of SDG - 5.   

The goal of the project is to combat CEFM (Child Early and Force Marriage) and reduce the vulnerability of adolescents, particularly girls in Rangpur division of Bangladesh. The objectives of the project are: 

1. Increased agency of adolescents, especially girls to protect themselves from harmful gender norms and practices, including CEFM, and to access economic empowerment opportunities; 
2. Increased community acceptance of norms that value the girl child and actions that support girls and boys to delay marriage; 
3. Increased responsiveness of duty bearers at national, District, and sub-District levels to prevent and respond to child rights violations, particularly CEFM, among vulnerable girls. 

The main activities of the project are training for ToT of Master Trainers for National Resource Pool consisting of trainers from DWA training cell -   on CMRA 2017, GE, child rights and protection, roles and responsibilities training package at District Level; Obtaining endorsement of District and administrations to hold orientation sessions for CMPC members; Conducting orientation training sessions of district level CMPC members on CMRA -ACT-2017, CMRA-Rule-2018, Child Rights and Gender; Day observance (16 Days Activism, International Women’s Day, National Child Marriage Prevention Day, and National Girl Child Day); Orientation to adolescent on CMRA -ACT-2017, CMRA-Rule-2018, Child Rights and Gender. 

The key highlights of the project are – District child marriage prevention committee reformed in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur and Panchagarh districts as per CMRA-Rule-2018; Upazila child marriage prevention committee is in function; District action plan is prepared on the basis of NPA.  

RDRS Bangladesh is implementing Fight Slavery and Trafficking in Persons (FSTIP) project in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Joypurhat and Sirajganj districts for the period of 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2026. The project is being implemented in partnership with Winrock International, funded by USAID. The direct programme participants of the project are the poor women and men of northern Bangladesh with special focus with special focus on expectant migrants, young people, at-risk trafficking and CM survivors, single mother, ethnic minorities, and trafficked survivors. The indirect programme participants are the religious leaders, federation leaders, Union Parishad, youth forum, officials of the relevant departments of government/non-government and recruiting agencies who will support the interventions in all aspects of the project. The FSTIP project is designed in line with SDG – 1, 5 and 16 (No Poverty; Gender Equality; and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).  

The five districts under this project (Lalmonirhat, Ragpur, Gaibandha, Joypurhat and Sirajganj) are the border area and underdeveloped. Because of this, these areas are at high-risk for human trafficking. A large number of people especially women and young people are being trafficked through this route every year. Poor economic conditions, unemployment, lack of awareness, child marriage, and dowry are some main reasons that make especially women and girls vulnerable to trafficking. This project is being implemented to be one of the best options to prevent trafficking in these areas.     

The goal of the project is to reduce slavery and trafficking through prevention, protection and establishing access to referral services. The objectives of the project are: 

1. Systems, capacity, and sustainability of justice actors and institutions enhanced; 
2. Human rights violations are prevented, and public awareness of trafficking and its dangers is enhanced; 
3. Protection of trafficking survivors increased. 

The main activities of the project are to activate and strengthen CTCs, CMPCs and GBV committees; expand and train peer leader networks on TIP, CM, safe migration, and modern technology; identify and support to TIP & CM at-risk by trained peer leaders; TIP & CM message will broadcast through community radios & other media; create safe space where adolescent girls can discuss sensitive issues and solution can be proposed to address CM; organise day observance events related to human trafficking at the local level; training to marriage registrars on Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017;  identify and support returnee migrants due to Covid-19 pandemic; raising awareness on Covid-19, TIP, CM & Safe migration among the community people; TIP & CM survivors received referral & direct protection assistant (eg. counseling support, vocational training, livelihood reintegration support); workshop for develop and revitalized 5 referral directories; provide protection assistance to the survivors of CM through referral; support FSTIP to secure additional funding and in-kind support contribution to survivors with service and shelter home; support the processing of a maximum of 200 complains at BMET from TIP survivors.  

The key highlights of the project are survivor-centric protection assistance to TIP and CM survivors; activation and functioning of community-based TIP and CM prevention, and mass awareness.