Closing ceremony of Uddokta Project held

The closing ceremony of the Uddokta Project, funded by Chevron and implemented by iDE Bangladesh, was held at a hotel in Dhaka, marking the successful completion of nearly four years of dedicated work to enhance entrepreneurship and foster economic empowerment.
The event, themed 'Reflections on Sustainability and Empowering Entrepreneurs,' was hosted by iDE Bangladesh recently. It highlighted the achievements and impact of the project, which has played a key role in building business skills, technical knowledge, and vital connections among entrepreneurs and village development associations in diverse sectors, says a statement.
The 'Uddokta-Empowering Entrepreneurs' project aimed to bolster the economic empowerment and stability of 110 VDO cooperative societies and 1,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), while preserving and growing their capital.
Since 2020, the project has been active around Chevron Bangladesh's gas field areas in Sylhet and Habiganj, benefiting approximately 42,500 people by empowering entrepreneurs and fostering societal development.
Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Honorary Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, was present as the chief guest. Distinguished guests included Greg Barnes, Director of Finance, Chevron Bangladesh; and Muhammad Imrul Kabir, Director of Corporate Affairs, Chevron Bangladesh.
And the special guests included Feroz Ahmed, Deputy Director (Training), Department of Fisheries, Dr FM Mahbubur Rahman, Director (Planning)-ICT Wing, Department of Agricultural Extension, and Dr Hosne Ara Begum, Principal Scientific Officer, Department of Livestock Services.
The event was presided over by Sameer Karki, Country Director, iDE Bangladesh, and moderated by Paromita Dutta, Monitoring and Evaluation Expert, iDE Bangladesh.