Bangladesh

Why your support matters in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries on earth, where more than 170 million people live across river deltas and low-lying plains. Every year, floods, cyclones and saltwater intrusion threaten homes, crops and livelihoods. For many families, the climate crisis is a daily reality.

Despite strong growth, inequality runs deep. According to the World Bank, around 18% of Bangladeshis still live below the national poverty line, and many more remain one setback away from hardship.

Women, girls and gender-diverse people often bear the brunt of that inequality, working in insecure jobs, carrying unpaid care burdens, and facing widespread gender-based violence. The United Nations Development Programme notes that women make up most of the informal workforce globally yet have the least protection when disaster strikes.

Despite these challenges, communities are finding new ways to adapt — from floating vegetable gardens to community disaster committees that protect lives before cyclones hit. Local organisations are training women as climate leaders and digital advocates, ensuring adaptation efforts reflect real community priorities.

Oxfam partners with these groups to help build systems that last, linking gender justice, climate resilience and livelihoods. Your donations to countries like Bangladesh make sure that progress continues, led by the people living it every day.

How Oxfam is working in Bangladesh

Oxfam works alongside local organisations to address inequality and injustice across Bangladesh. Our programs are community-led and focus on long-term impact that continues well beyond immediate challenges.

Restoring coasts and livelihoods through climate justice

In coastal areas, sea level rise and erosion threaten both homes and income. The Blue Economy for Inclusive Development and Climate Justice (BID4CJ) project supports coastal communities to have an equal share of sustainable economic growth — the kind that comes from living and working within a healthy ecosystem.

BID4CJ helps restore marine ecosystems, create green businesses and strengthen adaptation. Women and marginalised groups are gaining greater influence over how resources are managed and how the benefits of a healthy coastline are shared.

This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

Connecting communities through digital inclusion

Digital access is increasingly essential for participation in work and community life. Building on earlier work, PROTIC Phase II helps marginalised groups such as fishing families and domestic workers develop digital literacy. By improving access to technology in native languages, Oxfam and its partners are helping communities strengthen livelihoods and increase civic participation.

Supporting Rohingya refugees and host communities with dignity

Around one million Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar and now live in Cox’s Bazar (in the largest refugee camp in the world). Through the Bangladesh Consortium Rohingya Response, Oxfam have supported more than 117,000 refugees and host community members with clean water, sanitation and protection services. The program supports gender equality, ensuring women and girls have safe access to resources and representation in decision-making.

This initiative is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership Bangladesh Consortium.

Strengthening food security and coexistence

World Food Program Funding cuts have led to increasing food insecurity in Cox’s Bazar. Many Rohingya and Bangladeshi families are struggling to put food on the table, resorting to selling essential household goods just to afford food. Alongside local partners, Oxfam is training families in climate-smart farming and home gardening. These initiatives improve nutrition and increase self-reliance.

Oxfam acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

Together, we are creating lasting change — supporting communities to lead their own progress towards safety and equality. Through your donations to Bangladesh and around the world, you stand alongside them as they strengthen essential systems and challenge injustice.

Munni’s story

Munni works on a tea plantation in northern Bangladesh — part of an industry known for long hours and low wages. While her family was unable to afford essentials for years, she didn’t know she had the right to ask for more.

That began to change when she attended a meeting about workers’ rights. With support from people like you, Oxfam and Breaking the Silence run regular meetings where workers like Munni are made aware of their rights at work and at home, and encouraged to advocate for what they deserve.

Now, Munni can speak up for fairer pay and safer working conditions. She understands child marriage is prohibited, and that she can tell someone if she experiences or witnesses family violence. For the first time, workers like Munni are part of the conversation about their own future.

“Previously I had a fear inside my mind. Now, there is no fear and if anyone does not understand anything we can take the necessary steps. Now we have become aware and there has been a change at my home.”

“With the 170 Taka earnings, I have already started an insurance package. I made my husband understand and started an insurance package of 13,000 Taka [AU$166] annually.”

“I do not worry about my future and I will tackle all the problems.”

Her story shows how the trajectory of a whole community can change when women lead change from within their own communities.

Donate to countries like Bangladesh today to help break the cycle of poverty and gender-based violence, keeping families safe from harm.

Key focus areas

Why choose Oxfam

We work alongside local Bangladeshi leaders and organisations who understand the challenges and the solutions. When you support Oxfam with a donation to countries like Bangladesh, you’re backing:

Local partnerships

Every program is grounded in community knowledge and led by local organisations.

Long-term resilience

From advocacy to education, we focus on lasting impact (not just emergency relief).

Proven accountability

As a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), Oxfam follows the highest standards of transparency and effectiveness.

A regional approach

Our work in Bangladesh is part of a wider strategy, ensuring solutions are shared, connected and led by the Asia-Pacific region itself.

Justice over charity

We support communities to lead their own future. It’s not about charity. It’s about fairness, dignity and equal rights.

How your donation helps

Your donation to Oxfam could support our work in Bangladesh and around the world. Here’s what your support could help make possible:

• More effective climate adaptation — through coastal restoration and sustainable green businesses led by local communities.
• Safer workplaces — through rights awareness and leadership training (especially for women in informal and agricultural sectors).
• More just livelihoods — by connecting families to renewable income sources that protect both people and the environment.
• Digital inclusion — providing practical tools and training that help rural and low-income communities access information and opportunity.
• Food security and dignity — supporting Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities with clean water, nutrition and protection services.

Your donation doesn’t just respond to need. It strengthens leadership, equality and opportunity that lasts for generations.

Donate to countries like Bangladesh now

Help us work for justice and equality. For the right to earn a reliable income and have access to safe water and a viable food network (especially as climate shocks occur more frequently).

By donating today, you’re helping to back the leadership of Bangladeshi communities facing injustice and inequality head-on. Every contribution helps provide practical tools, long-term support, and builds better systems for the future.

Donate now to support climate action and gender justice in Bangladesh and other countries around the world.

Learn more about Oxfam’s work in the region

Want to understand the bigger picture? Explore how Oxfam works across the Asia-Pacific region to support community-led action and push for global systems that put justice first.

Discover Oxfam’s gender equality work, or our stance on climate justice. Read about how we’re working with partners across the globe to support local solutions to the climate crisis and gender injustice. You can also explore our current appeals or learn more about how we work in Timor Leste, Philippines and Indonesia.

Oxfam’s partners

Oxfam Great Britain, Oxfam in Bangladesh, NGO Forum of Public Health, Mukti Cox’s Bazar, Dushtha Shasthya Kendra, Breaking the Silence, Community Development Centre, Jago Nari