TBS, Friendship sign MoU to forge strategic partnership

The Business Standard (TBS), the country's premier daily newspaper, and Friendship, an international social purpose organisation, have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly undertake initiatives that advocate for good governance, raise awareness about the rights of all citizens, and address critical social issues.

The signing ceremony took place on 23 January at TBS office in the capital's Eskaton area.

Muhammed Shameem Reza, senior director of Legal & chief financial officer, and Ahmed Toufiqur Rahman, deputy director, from Friendship, and Amir Hossain Mahboob, senior general manager of marketing and business development, and Shahed Latif, manager of event and activation, representing The Business Standard, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations.

Amir Hossain Mahboob, senior general manager, marketing and business development, TBS, said, "We are delighted to join hands with Friendship on various issues. Moving forward, we aspire to broaden the scope of our collaboration."

Ayesha Taasin Khan, senior director and head of inclusive citizenship at Friendship, said, "This partnership between Friendship and TBS is a significant step towards leveraging our respective strengths to address societal challenges. By combining our expertise, we aim to create a positive impact on communities and contribute to the overall well-being of our citizens."

The signing event brought together key representatives from both organisations – Abu Muhammad Shihab, deputy general manager and Nusrat Zerin, AGM and technical lead of Inclusive Citizenship Friendship; and Majumder Babu, head of multimedia, Syed Ahmed Chowdhury, AGM, sales & advertisement and Sagar Shahriar, senior producer, Multimedia of the The Business Standard.

The Business Standard, with its emphasis on promoting best practices in business and the economy, has been a reliable source of news and information in Bangladesh. Powered by a group of experienced journalists, TBS focuses on visual storytelling to help readers decipher the most complicated issues, covering general news, sports, features, and entertainment.

Established in 2002, Friendship operates across six sectors, including health, education, inclusive citizenship, sustainable economic development, climate actions, and cultural preservation, focusing on climate-impacted and marginalised areas such as the char islands and riverbanks in the north and the coastal belt in the south of Bangladesh.

The Inclusive Citizenship (IC) Programme of Friendship, initiated in 2012, has been instrumental in improving knowledge and awareness among hard-to-reach char communities on government structure, legal, human, and civic rights.