Attachments
NATIONAL SOCIETY PROFILE
The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society was constituted on 31 March 1973 with retrospective effect from 16 December 1971, and is the oldest humanitarian organization in Bangladesh since the country’s independence in 1971. The National Society was admitted to the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in 1973. It is currently a member of IFRC’s Governing Board, for a second consecutive term.
The National Society’s mandate, as stated in the country’s Standing Order on Disasters, is to complement the authorities’ emergency response efforts, particularly in disaster preparedness. The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is the National Society’s key partner, with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare serving as its line ministry. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society effectively manages emergencies and crises with the support that it receives from the IFRC network, and has positioned itself as one of the key actors in preparedness, response, recovery, rehabilitation, and reduction of risks in the country.
The Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP), a globally recognized community-based disaster preparedness programme is a flagship initiative jointly run by the Bangladesh Red Crescent and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in the field of disaster management. It covers early warning systems, search and rescue, evacuation, shelter, first aid, relief distributions, and rehabilitation activities. The CPP’s strength lies in its 76,000 community volunteers. The National Society has been a pioneer in forecast-based actions for floods, cyclones and heatwaves.
In the field of healthcare, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society runs eight blood centres, two eye hospitals, one general hospital and one medical college hospital , which provides comprehensive healthcare services. It has 57 mother and child healthcare (MCH) centres providing primary and maternity healthcare services, three outdoor clinics, three diploma nursing institutes and six Red Crescent midwifery training institutes.
The National Society uses its auxiliary role to advocate and support the implementation of national plans related to climate change, such as the National Adaptation Plan and the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan.
The Bangladesh Red Crescent’s current Strategic Plan 2021-25 identifies three strategic goals:
• Enhance capacity to contribute towards saving lives from disasters and crises, with a view to reducing adverse impacts through building resilient communities
• Improve access to quality health services for safe, dignified and healthy living
• Transform into a strong National Society