DHAKA, Mar 2, 2026 (BSS) – Japan has signed a new agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), providing $1.4 million to deliver life-saving support to Rohingya children and families in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. The funding will benefit more than 56,500 Rohingya, including over 36,000 children, through critical services in education, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), nutrition and health, according to a UNICEF press release issued today.  The agreement was signed in Dhaka by Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi and UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh Rana Flowers. Ambassador Saida said the assistance comes at a time of declining global humanitarian funding. “I am pleased to announce Japan’s new agreement with UNICEF, especially amid declining global funding. This aid focuses on critical services like education, WASH, nutrition and health, reflecting Japan’s long-standing partnership with UNICEF and our strong commitment to human security,” she said. She expressed hope that the support would enhance the resilience and dignity of both Rohingyas and host communities, reaffirming Japan’s continued commitment to the humanitarian response. Now entering its ninth year, the Rohingya crisis remains one of the world’s largest and most protracted humanitarian situations.  Overcrowded camps, disease outbreaks, malnutrition and limited access to learning facilities continue to expose children to significant risks. Rana Flowers said Rohingya children face daily threats ranging from disease and malnutrition to disrupted education. “The support from the Government of Japan will help keep children healthy and in learning, promote skill-building pathways and equip families to better care for their youngest children,” she said, describing the partnership as a vital investment in children’s survival, dignity and future. Under the agreement, UNICEF will expand access to the Myanmar Curriculum on Bhasan Char and strengthen formal education and skills development programmes for adolescents in Cox’s Bazar. The partnership will also improve safe water supply systems and sanitation facilities to reduce outbreaks of cholera, dengue and other communicable diseases. Hygiene supplies, including soap and menstrual hygiene materials, will be distributed to households to support public health and promote gender equity. Aligned with Japan’s global advocacy for universal health coverage, the funding will scale up services to prevent and treat child malnutrition and enhance maternal and newborn healthcare, including support for the Newborn Stabilisation Unit on Bhasan Char and primary health centres in Cox’s Bazar. Since the onset of the Rohingya crisis in August 2017, Japan has contributed over $250 million to UN agencies and NGOs in Bangladesh for the Rohingya response, including approximately $47 million through UNICEF to assist Rohingya children and their families.  

NARSINGDI, Mar 2, 2026 (BSS) - The Ziaur Rahman Foundation today distributed Eid items among members of disabled families of the district at a function at the District Shishu Academy auditorium here. Organized by the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), the foundation distributed Eid items among 150 disabled persons and their families from different upazilas of the district. The gifts included nine types of essential food items, such as oil, semai, milk, sugar, rice and lentils for polao preparation. Dr. Farhad Halim Donar, Chief Advisor of the DAB and Executive Director of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation attended the programme as the chief guest. The event was inaugurated by Joint Secretary General of the BNP Central Committee Khairul Kabir Khokon, MP. The programme was conducted by Dr. Nurullah Al Masud, General Secretary of Narsingdi DAB, alongside other leaders from the Foundation and the DAB. Speaking at the event, Dr. Farhad Halim Donar highlighted that the struggles of the families with a disabled member can only be truly understood by their close relatives. He added that under present government plans, specialized institutes will be established in every district to provide safe housing and permanent support for the persons with disabilities in the absence of their parents. Khairul Kabir Khokon noted that previous undemocratic and mafia-controlled governments neglected disabled citizens, prioritizing corruption and looting over social responsibility.  He praised the present government for implementing election pledges and extending support to the country’s vulnerable and helpless populations.