DHAKA, Aug 9, 2026 (BSS) - Standard Chartered Bangladesh has donated 25 decommissioned laptops to Friendship to support secondary education and digital learning for students in the climate-vulnerable northern char regions.

The donation is part of a healthcare and education partnership between Standard Chartered Bangladesh and Friendship launched in December 2025, said a press release today. 

The education component seeks to help char-based students continue their secondary schooling, develop digital skills and connect with the wider world.

Children living in the sedimentary river islands, or chars, particularly in the northern districts of Kurigram and Gaibandha, face barriers to education as frequent flooding, river erosion and limited infrastructure disrupt schooling, contributing to lower literacy levels and higher dropout rates, particularly among girls.

Since the partnership was launched, the programme has made progress across five schools.

 Starlink connectivity has been established to provide internet access and support digital learning, while pedagogy and subject matter-specific teacher training is ongoing. Student attendance and annual pass rates have improved, while dropout rates have gradually declined.

With the network infrastructure now in place, the donated laptops will help students’ access educational materials and support technology-enabled learning.

Interim Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bangladesh Enamul Huque said the partnership with Friendship had made progress in expanding digital access and improving learning outcomes for students in the northern chars.

“With reliable connectivity now established across all five schools and encouraging improvements in attendance and academic performance, the donation of these laptops marks the next phase of our commitment to helping students make the most of digital learning opportunities,” he said.

Founder and Executive Director of Friendship Runa Khan said placing a laptop in the hands of a child living on a remote, shifting char was not simply giving them a machine, but opening a window to knowledge and connecting them to a world beyond the river.

“It is giving them the confidence, dignity and hope to imagine a future larger than the circumstances into which they were born,” she said.

Standard Chartered and Friendship have been working together since 2016 to support marginalised communities in health, education, agriculture and the environment.

The two organisations remain committed to expanding access to quality secondary education and equipping young people in climate-vulnerable communities with skills for a more resilient future.