Experts stress financial inclusion for Rohingya community alongside skills development
BRAC officials said the organisation is testing innovative models under a pilot project funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), launched in October 2025 and running until May 2026 across several camps in Cox’s Bazar.
Practitioners and humanitarian leaders at a workshop in Cox's Bazar have underscored the need to advance financial inclusion for the Rohingya community alongside skills development programmes, saying such integrated approaches are essential to improve livelihoods and strengthen resilience in the camps.
The workshop titled "Financial Inclusion for the Rohingya: Perspectives and Possibilities" was organised today (12 May) by BRAC's Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) with support from UK Aid at a local hotel in Cox's Bazar.
Speakers discussed potential pathways to expand financial access for Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs), including pilot initiatives on digital cash transfers and mobile financial services, partnerships with banks and MFS providers, literacy and women-focused financial inclusion programmes, and youth engagement in digital income-generating activities.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammed Mizanur Rahman attended as the chief guest, saying BRAC's initiative reflects ground realities. He noted that around 52% of the Rohingya population is under 18, warning that a lack of engagement could increase vulnerability to trafficking and crime. He stressed the need for constructive opportunities for young people.
BRAC officials said the organisation is testing innovative models under a pilot project funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), launched in October 2025 and running until May 2026 across several camps in Cox's Bazar.
According to the programme update, 160 Rohingya refugees have received formal skills training, while 400 others were trained for informal-sector work. In addition, 398 women received cash assistance, and 123 participants were supported through entrepreneurship initiatives. Mobile SIM cards have also been distributed to 297 participants with RRRC support.
BRAC Senior Director KAM Morshed said scaling successful pilots will require stronger collaboration and sustained commitment from partners. Other speakers included representatives from the Refugee Coordination Platform, camp authorities, and BRAC programme officials.
More than 80 representatives from international agencies, NGOs and humanitarian organisations attended the workshop, which emphasised building practical pathways for economic inclusion within the constraints of the refugee context.
