Right2Grow holds a national ceremony
City Desk :
The national closing ceremony of Right2Grow, a landmark collaborative initiative in the nutrition, health, and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) sectors, was held today at Hotel Le Méridien, Dhaka. The event was organized by the Right2Grow Country Consortium, led by Max Foundation Bangladesh, and brought together senior government representatives, development partners, UN agencies, the private sector, civil society organizations, and community leaders from programme areas.
The ceremony was attended by Chief Guest Md. Saidur Rahman, Secretary, Health Services Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Special Guests included Ms. Annelies Kanis, Global Lead, Right2Grow Consortium & Country Director, The Hunger Project Netherlands; Mr. Osman Haruni, Senior Policy Advisor, AFS&TBD, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN); Dr. Md. Rizwanur Rahman, Director General, Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC); Kh. Md. Nazmul Huda Shamim, Joint Secretary, Local Government Division (LGD); and Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, Member, National Nutrition Council (NCC), along with consortium leadership and programme partners. In his opening remarks, Dr. A.T.M. Tariqul Islam, Chairperson of the Right2Grow Country Steering Committee and Country Director of Max Foundation Bangladesh, stated:
“Right2Grow has shown how the government, civil society, and local communities can work together to bring sustainable improvements to child and maternal nutrition, health, and sanitation.”The day-long event featured three major sessions. Iqbal Azad, Team Lead, Right2Grow Consortium, presented the programme’s key achievements, learnings, and pathways forward.The session featured the documentary “Impact in Motion: Stories of Change” and an Impact Gallery Exhibition showcasing community-led progress and transformation. The theme of this session was “Public-Private Partnership for WASH-Nutrition Services Sustainability.” Distinguished panelists included Prof. Dr. Syed Abdul Hamid, Institute of Health Economics, University of Dhaka, Osman Haruni, Sr. Policy Advisor, AFS&TBD, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), Md. Emtiazul Hasan Mazumder, PPP Specialist, PPP Authority, Bangladesh, AHM Khalequre Rahman, Superintending Engineer, Store Circle-Dhaka, DPHE, Mohammad Akmal Sharif, Country Director, Action Against Hunger (ACF-BD)
Mohammad Monirul Alam, WASH Specialist, UNICEF, Dr. Salah Uddin Ahmed, Additional GM, Star Network (SMC). The session was moderated by Mr. Shumon Sengupta, Country Director, Save the Children in Bangladesh.
The theme was “Institutionalization of WASH-Nutrition Budget and Expenditure Management at LGI Level.”
Panelists included Dr. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, Director, BNNC, MoHFW
Kh. Md. Nazmul Huda Shamim, Joint Secretary, LGD, MoLGRD&C, Prashanta Tripura, Country Director, The Hunger Project Bangladesh, Chandan Z. Gomes, Senior Director – Operations, World Vision Bangladesh, Dr. Md. Mohsin Ali, Public Health and Nutrition Specialist, Mohammad Zobair Hasan, Deputy Executive Director, DORP.
Dr. Md. Enamul Haque, Director General, Health Economics Unit, Ministry of Health, presented the summary of the discussion.
The closing session included reflections from beneficiaries, Union Parishad leaders, civil society representatives, and Health Promotion Agents (HPAs) who shared how improved WASH-Nutrition practices have contributed to community health and resilience.
A Recognition & Appreciation Awards Ceremony honored local government bodies, partner organizations, and community champions for their leadership and contributions in advancing integrated nutrition and WASH outcomes.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks from Dr. A.T.M. Tariqul Islam, who acknowledged the dedication of all partners and emphasized the importance of sustaining multi-sector collaboration beyond the project period..
