By
Quazi M. Ahmed
Founder & President, BOND
Innovation isn’t just about technology or efficiency. At its best, innovation is about people especially those who’ve historically been left behind. In Bangladesh, where poverty, inequality, and marginalization still affect millions, inclusive innovation has the power to rewrite futures. For the country to truly progress, it must embrace solutions that lift up the most vulnerable.
This is where Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) can be game changers. With access to global knowledge, networks, and resources, NRBs are uniquely positioned to drive inclusive development. At BOND (Bridging Organization with NRBs for Development), we champion these efforts connecting the global Bangladeshi diaspora to local challenges, and turning compassion into action.
Understanding Who Is Left Behind
Marginalized communities in Bangladesh often include ethnic minorities, rural women, low-income urban families, persons with disabilities, and members of the transgender population. Many live without access to quality education, employment opportunities, or basic healthcare. While public and private sector initiatives have made progress, a large segment of society remains excluded from the mainstream.
These communities don’t need sympathy they need access, opportunity, and dignity. They need innovation that includes them.
How NRBs Are Creating Inclusive Solutions
Around the world, NRBs are already contributing to change in powerful ways combining their global experiences with local insight to design practical, people-centered solutions.
One inspiring example is a solar-powered community learning center in a remote village of Rangamati, initiated by a Bangladeshi engineer based in Canada. This project brought education to children from indigenous communities who previously had no access to digital learning tools.
Another initiative came from a group of NRBs in the UK, who partnered with a local organization in Khulna to support vocational training for rural women. These women now produce eco-friendly household items and sell them online, earning their own income and building confidence.
And in Sylhet, a Bangladeshi-American doctor set up a virtual healthcare platform that connects underserved patients in haor regions with specialists in Dhaka and even abroad. Through simple mobile technology, hundreds now receive timely care some for the first time in their lives.
What Makes These Innovations Work?
These projects succeed not just because they’re creative, but because they’re inclusive by design. Three key elements are often present:
- Community-first approach: The best projects start by listening. Solutions are co-created with local people, not imposed from above.
- Sustainability over charity: Instead of one-time donations, the focus is on building systems that empower people over time.
- Scalability: Once tested and refined, these models can be replicated in other districts or scaled with government and private sector partnerships.
BOND helps facilitate this process connecting NRBs with credible local partners, guiding project design, and amplifying successful models across regions.
The Role of BOND: Connecting Vision to Action
BOND exists to enable diaspora-led development. When it comes to inclusion, we focus on making it easier for NRBs to contribute meaningfully whether through ideas, funding, skills, or mentorship. We support initiatives that:
- Promote education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship in underserved areas
- Empower marginalized youth, women, and minority groups
- Bring digital literacy and access to remote communities
- Encourage social enterprises led by or for vulnerable populations
Our goal is to ensure that impactful projects are not isolated efforts but part of a broader, coordinated movement for inclusive growth.
Moving Forward: Your Role in the Inclusion Movement
If you are an NRB with a desire to give back, inclusion is one of the most meaningful areas you can focus on. Your contribution no matter how small can unlock opportunities for someone who’s been excluded for generations.
You can:
- Fund or co-create a project in your hometown
- Share your expertise with a community-based initiative
- Partner with local NGOs or startups working in inclusive innovation
- Mentor underprivileged youth online or in-person during visits to Bangladesh
BOND is here to help guide your journey offering platforms, networks, and support to turn your ideas into lasting impact.
Inclusion is not an afterthought it must be at the heart of development.
With innovation fueled by empathy, and supported by the global Bangladeshi community, we can create a more just, equal, and resilient Bangladesh one where no one is left behind.