StanChart, Friendship to benefit Kurigram char residents

Standard Chartered Bangladesh and Friendship, which terms itself a social purpose organisation, recently signed an agreement to run a project for 750 residents of Ghughumari Char, a remote island in Kurigram. 

The project involves installing a 54-kilowatt solar microgrid which would be connected to 150 households, digging 60 tube wells to ensure safe and clean drinking water and running a tree plantation initiative to arrest soil erosion.

All initiatives are expected to be completed within sixth months from inception and are expected to benefit residents for over 10 years.

Naser Ezaz Bijoy, chief executive officer of the bank, and Runa Khan, founder and executive director of Friendship, inked the deal at the latter's head office in Dhaka, said a press release.

Bitopi Das Chowdhury, head of corporate affairs, brand and marketing of Standard Chartered Bangladesh, and Md Kamal Uddin, senior director and head of sustainable economic development of Friendship, were present.