Citizen groups have been gathering quarterly at the upazilla level under the Nagorikata programme as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen citizen engagement, social accountability and inclusive local governance in Bangladesh.
Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF)’s programme titled “Achieving a Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Society through Enhanced Engagement of Civil Society and Citizens in Bangladesh”, is designed to empower marginalised communities, including women, youth and ethnic minorities, by enabling them to participate more effectively in local decision-making processes. The project places particular emphasis on citizen mobilisation, social audits and constructive engagement with local authorities to improve public service delivery and accountability.
This programme is jointly supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC), facilitated by GFA Consulting Group, and implemented by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
As part of the project’s implementation framework, CPD has so far organised a total of 32 quarterly meetings with Citizen Groups. These meetings have been conducted across four districts—Bogura, Sherpur, Sunamganj and Noakhali—covering selected upazilas (four upazila each district) where socio-economic vulnerabilities and governance challenges are more pronounced.
The quarterly meetings serve as a structured platform for Citizen Group members to review progress, share local experiences, identify service delivery gaps and discuss follow-up actions. They also provide an opportunity to reflect on findings from social audits, track engagement with local authorities and strengthen coordination among group members and community volunteers.
The meetings have helped reinforce citizen leadership at the local level and ensured continuity in community engagement throughout the project cycle. Issues raised during the meetings are documented systematically and used to inform subsequent programme activities, advocacy efforts and evidence-based policy dialogue at higher levels.
CPD noted that the continuation of quarterly meetings remains a key component of the Nagorikata programme, ensuring that citizen voices remain central to discussions on governance, service delivery and inclusion as the programme moves forward.
