The government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Sunday signed deals to implement two projects for strengthening village courts and improving social tolerance in Bangladesh.

The Economic Relations Division (ERD), a wing of the Ministry of Finance,  signed two separate projects documents titled-‘Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh, Phase-III’ (AVCB) and ‘Partnerships for a More Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh, Phase-II.’

Sharifa Khan, Secretary of ERD, and Stefan Liller, Resident Representative of UNDP witnessed the signing ceremony. AKM Sohel UN Wing Chief of ERD moderated the signing ceremony.

The Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh, Phase-III project, implemented by the Local Government Division, aims to strengthen village courts at 3041 unions across the country as effective platforms for local dispute resolution.

With a total budget of USD $50,016,785, the project is funded by the Government of Bangladesh ($18,639,941), the European Union( $28,376,844), and UNDP ($ 3,000,000).

This phase builds on the success of prior activations in 1,416 Union Parishads (UPs) and will extend activation to 3,041 additional UPs.

The Partnerships for a More Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh, Phase-II project, led by the ICT Division, focuses on engaging youth to promote peace, tolerance, and inclusivity.

The project empowers young advocates to counter hate and radicalism, fostering a harmonious society.

The total budget for this phase is USD $757,453, with contributions $ 326,472 from UNDP $424,528 from Norway, and $6,453 from govt of Bangladesh.