JICA and SDC jointly hosted a workshop today held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital. Photo: JICA

DHAKA, Nov 27, 2025 (BSS) - Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) jointly hosted a workshop today highlighting practical solutions and insights for improving urban governance and local economic development in Bangladesh. 

The event, titled ‘Urban Governance and Economic Development,’ was held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital.

Strengthening urban governance has become crucial as Bangladesh is experiencing rapid urban growth. In recent years, two key initiatives, JICA’s Capacity for Cities (C4C) program and SDC’s PRABRIDDHI: Local Economic Development (LED) project, have been working closely with the Local Government Division to support them in this work that is central to building cities that are smarter, more liveable, and better equipped to compete in future.

As both projects approach their final phase in December 2025, this workshop served as a vital platform for participants to share experiences, reflect on achievements, and explore future directions. The event brought together approximately 200 participants, including city leaders, government officials, private sector partners, academicians, and development partners, said a press release.

The program featured experience-sharing sessions, presentations from participating cities, and interactive discussions on budgeting, revenue generation, local economic development, citizen engagement, digital transformation, and performance metrics. An exhibition gallery was set up to display innovations and project outcomes for both projects.

In terms of the project activities, C4C has focused on governance and institutional capacity building of City Corporations, introducing modern management systems and tools to improve service delivery and accountability, measured by the annual City Governance Assessment (CGA). 

In the same way, PRABRIDDHI has focused on secondary city municipalities, championing local economic development, driving competitive business environments, and the integration of smart infrastructure, culminating in tools such as the Municipal Competitiveness Index (MCI).

By hosting this workshop, JICA and SDC, together with the government of Bangladesh and their partners, reaffirmed their shared commitment to supporting long-term urban development in line with national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly Goals 9, 11, and 16.

The event concluded with a strong call to continue building smarter, stronger and more resilient cities through innovation and partnership across Bangladesh.