XUNICEF News and Views

The much awaited launch of the Book WE WERE THERE finally took place on 17 July 2023 at Unicef Bangladesh Country Office in presence of Country Representative, Sheldon Yett, his Deputy, several other BCO staff and some 22 Retirees who contributed articles or funds to meet the editing, printing and related cost of the book. On behalf of the retirees, Shamsul Farooq remarked that there could not be a better platform to do the launch than in Unicef/JPG/ Country Representative and host of Ex-Unicef Staff of Bangladesh. He thanked the Office, Representative and his team for providing the logistics, administrative arrangements and media support for the launch. Shamsul Farooq speaking on behalf of the former UNICEF staff The book is a compilation of articles written by ex- unicef staff members as well as as several International Staff members reflecting their individual experiences, challenges, opportunities in the early years of Unicef Operations in Bangladesh and then moving into medium ...

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) recently released its Household income and expenditure survey initiated in 2022. It shows the Household Income and expenditure nearly tripled in the last 12 years - both in rural and urban areas.  " Riding on steady economic growth in the past two decades, Bangladesh has made significant progress in many social indicators, cut the poverty rate, and raised calories intake", as the report reveals. The literacy rate, access to safe drinking water, significant reduction in poverty and extreme poverty have been flagged in the report. This has happened despite the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine war and associated global inflation. The report also touches on several aspects of positive criticism by Economists and development policy makers of the country the challenges ahead. Shamsul https://www.thedailystar.net/ business/economy/news/ household-income-expenditure- nearly-triple-12-years-3295866

The War, the Cyclone and Independence UNICEF worked in what now constitutes Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) since 1950 in a limited way, but the first substantial assistance began only following the 1971 war of liberation. The war lasted about 9 months ( 26 March to 16 December 1971) and brought untold sufferings and negative humanitarian impact for millions of people - women and children in particular. It caused, among other tragedies, Deaths of some over 1 million civilians About 10 million people fled to India as refugees Some 30 million people were internally displaced Thousands of Women were violated and raped by the occupying Army. July 1971 - A UNICEF Jeep wrecked during fighting in Madhabpur The war came in the wake of a devastating cyclone that hit the coastal areas in November 1970 when 500,000 people died and millions were affected and needed urgent relief assistance. The situation was very grim, indeed. 12 November 1970 - What was left of villages after the cyclone’s w...