107 Dhaka North residents get livelihood support to boost incomes

DHAKA, October 14, 2026 — A total of 107 residents from low-income communities in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) have received sewing machines, IT equipment and business carts under a UNDP-led initiative aimed at reducing urban poverty through sustainable livelihoods.

The equipment was distributed at a ceremony at the DNCC Auditorium on Wednesday under the Livelihoods Support for Urban Poor Communities in Bangladesh (LSUPCB) project.

Implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Local Government Division (LGD), the project is financed by the Global Development Fund (GDF) under China's South-South Cooperation.

The initiative seeks to improve the economic resilience of vulnerable urban households by combining skills training with productive assets to help beneficiaries establish businesses, generate income and become financially self-reliant.

Of the recipients, 36 received sewing machines to support tailoring and home-based businesses, 30 received IT equipment to launch digital services and technology-based enterprises, and 41 received business carts for small-scale trading.

Addressing the event as chief guest, DNCC Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan said the assets should be used to create sustainable income opportunities and improve family livelihoods.

“These assets are not simply equipment; they are opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods,” he said, urging beneficiaries to use the support responsibly to generate income, strengthen their businesses and secure a better future for their families.

Chairing the ceremony, DNCC Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Ashaduz Zaman said skills development becomes more effective when people have the resources to apply their training in practice.

The assistance would help beneficiaries turn their skills into income-generating activities, he said.

Yugesh Pradhanang, international technical adviser and project manager of the UNDP Bangladesh project, said combining practical training with livelihood assets could help vulnerable people move towards financial independence.

“Our focus is on enabling vulnerable women and youth to build sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

Under the project, residents of 16 low-income communities in DNCC receive three months of skills training through Community Development Committees (CDCs). Productive assets are then provided based on their acquired skills and business plans.

The project operates across six cities and towns in Bangladesh, supporting employment, entrepreneurship and economic self-reliance among vulnerable urban communities.

Mohammad Mamun-Ul-Hassan, deputy secretary and chief social welfare and slum development officer of DNCC, delivered the welcome address.

The initiative aims to strengthen household incomes and promote small-scale entrepreneurship, offering low-income urban residents opportunities to build more secure and sustainable livelihoods.