Local government officials, representatives of public institutions and community members gathered in Noakhali on 21 July 2026 to discuss the findings of a social audit on Women’s Participation, Safety and Social Justice in Noakhali District. The discussion, held at the conference room of the Noakhali Deputy Commissioner’s Office, was jointly organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and the Participatory Research and Action Network (PRAN) under the Nagorikata – Civic Engagement Fund as part of the programme ‘Achieving a Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Society through Enhanced Engagement of Civil Society and Citizens in Bangladesh’.
The social audit captured the lived experiences and perspectives of citizens from Sadar, Begumganj, Sonaimuri and Subarnachar upazilas. The findings highlighted key challenges relating to women’s employment and economic empowerment, access to healthcare, safety and security, vulnerability to climate-related disasters, and barriers to social justice.
Following the presentation of the findings, representatives of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and other government officials engaged directly with members of marginalised and disadvantaged communities.The discussion emphasised the importance of coordinated efforts among relevant government institutions and stakeholders to address the identified challenges and implement the recommendations emerging from the social audit.
The meeting was attended by Dr Md Sheikh Sadek, Deputy Director (Deputy Secretary), Local Government; Shantanu Kumar Das, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General); Shubha Debnath, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development and Human Resource Management); Abu Toiyob Md Arif Hossain, Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance); government officials from district and upazila-level departments, representatives of local authorities, and members of the Citizens’ Group.
Also present were Ms Katharina König, Deputy Team Leader, GFA Consulting Group and the Nagorikata Programme; Ms Shabnab Mostari, Capacity Development Expert; Avra Bhattacharjee, Additional Director, Dialogue, Communication and Outreach, CPD; Mojahidul Islam, Project Consultant; Md Jawadul Karim, Monitoring and Evaluation Associate; Ms Umme Salma, Programme Coordinator, PRAN; Mahmudul Hasan, Field Coordinator, Nagorikata–CPD–PRAN Programme; community volunteers from different upazilas; and other relevant representatives.
The initiative is being implemented by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) under the Nagorikata Programme, with joint support from the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada, and the European Union in Bangladesh, facilitated by GFA Consulting Group GmbH.
