Dhaka, Jan. 15 -- Speakers said the expansion of Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) marked a new chapter in deepening citizen participation and inclusive governance in Bangladesh, as the programme broadened its reach with the support of new development partners.

They stressed that citizen-led initiatives backed by the fund are increasingly reinforcing accountability, state-citizen dialogue and rights-based participation from the local to the national level.

The expansion, they added, aligns citizen engagement with national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 5 and 16.

The observations came at the CEF expansion event held at a city hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday, where representatives from ...