From Farm to Fork: The Impact of Climate Change on Food Patterns and Nutrition in Bangladesh

Research-Driven Tobacco Control: New Evidence Sparks Hope for Stronger Policies in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP), in collaboration with the Bangladesh Tobacco Control Research Network (BTCRN) and the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (USA), hosted the Tobacco Control Research Findings Dissemination Conference 2025 at the CIRDAP International Conference Center.

The event showcased key insights from eight groundbreaking studies conducted under the 2024 Tobacco Control Policy Research Grant Program, offering fresh evidence to drive tobacco control advocacy and policymaking in Bangladesh.

One major study conducted across Dhaka revealed that plain cigarette packaging and health warnings on cigarette sticks significantly discouraged smoking, especially among low-nicotine-dependent users and youth. Smokers exposed to plain packs reported stronger intentions to quit, while non-smokers were less likely to initiate.

Another pivotal study observed why farmers transitioned to or away from tobacco cultivation. Findings showed that 75% of former tobacco farmers shifted to alternative crops over a decade, citing health concerns and poor soil conditions. Meanwhile, 32% of non-tobacco farmers turned to tobacco farming for better profits and guaranteed buyers. The study also identified stark health disparities between the two groups. Other research presented at the conference covered industry interference, vendor influence, e-cigarette usage, hospital law compliance, and counseling effectiveness for tobacco cessation.

The opening session was graced by Sheikh Momena Moni, Additional Secretary (WH Wing), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, while Md. Akhteruzzaman, Director General of the National Tobacco Control Cell, closed the conference. Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shorif Uddin, Vice Chancellor of Green University, chaired the opening. Distinguished guests included Prof. Nurul Hooda Lenin (BMRC), Dr. Jun Nakagawa (WHO Bangladesh), Dr. Sejal Saraf (IGTC), Bloomberg Initiative partners, and Mr. Mohammad Shahjahan, Director & CEO of BCCP.

Over 230 participants from government agencies, universities, international partners, and media houses joined the conference, reinforcing a united commitment to evidence-based tobacco control in Bangladesh.

Songs of Responsibility: Rhythms Inspire Community Awareness under EMCRP

Blending tradition with purpose, the Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) is turning up the volume on community awareness through a series of vibrant cultural events under the Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Crisis Response Project (EMCRP). Titled “Songs of Responsibility”, this initiative puts folk music center stage as a powerful vehicle for social change.

The inaugural event, held at Jourianala Haji Mohammed Sanchi High School in Ramu Upazila, Cox’s Bazar, drew an enthusiastic crowd of over 1,500 people—teachers, students, parents, and community members. The folk-based performances in the local dialect carried strong messages encouraging the community to use EMCRP-supported facilities—such as roads, bridges, cyclone shelters, and solar-powered streetlights—with care, pride, and responsibility.

Distinguished guests included Mr. Mohammed Kafil Uddin Kabir, Upazila Engineer of LGED, Ramu (Chief Guest); Mr. Nurul Islam Chy, Upazila Secondary Education Officer; and Mr. Abu Hasib Mustafa Jamal, Senior Deputy Director and Team Leader, Communication and Awareness Services for EMCRP- LGED at BCCP. Their presence energized the gathering and reinforced the message that infrastructure is not just a government investment—it’s a shared community asset.

Local folk artists mesmerized the crowd, delivering emotionally charged performances that struck a chord with people of all ages. Interactive moments and a lively quiz session kept the audience engaged and entertained while also reinforcing key takeaways. Winners of the quiz proudly received prizes from the guests on stage, adding to the celebratory energy.

“This initiative not only educates but emotionally connects people to the services provided for their benefit,” said Mr. Kabir. “We appreciate BCCP’s innovative approach to making awareness enjoyable and impactful.”

The event was flawlessly coordinated by BCCP’s Communication and Awareness Services (CAS) team, with future events planned across other Upazilas in Cox’s Bazar. By harnessing the emotional and cultural power of music, this team is setting the stage for behavioral change that lasts.

The Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Crisis Response Project (EMCRP) is a World Bank-supported initiative designed to serve both Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) and the host communities in Cox’s Bazar. The project includes construction and enhancement of internal roads, bridges, culverts, school-cum-cyclone shelters, multipurpose community and service centers, solar streetlights, and lightning protection systems—all aimed at improving quality of life and resilience in the region.

Implemented jointly by Local Government Engiring Department (LGED), Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), the project is complemented by the Communication and Awareness Services (CAS) provided by BCCP. Through CAS, BCCP strengthens the communication capacity for Social and Behavioral Change (SBC) and promotes proper and sustained use of the newly developed facilities, fostering a culture of ownership and care among both FDMN and host communities.

Empowering Women for Climate Action: Communication Strategy Workshop Paves the Way

The Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP), in collaboration with UN Women, organized a Communication Strategy Development Workshop under Phase II of the EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies project. Held at Hotel Lake Castle in Dhaka, the event marked a significant step forward in strengthening women’s voices in climate-related decision-making.

The workshop brought together 21 engaged participants, including senior government officials, NGO leaders, development partners, media professionals, and beneficiaries of the EmPower project. The primary objective was to design a communication strategy to raise awareness and foster the meaningful participation of women and girls in climate governance, with a strong focus on gender-responsive climate change initiatives.

Participants collaborated in interactive sessions to identify key communication pathways, challenges, and opportunities. By the end of the day, the group had successfully outlined a strategic framework to promote inclusive, action-oriented messaging that supports community mobilization and policy advocacy.

The EmPower project—jointly implemented by UN Women and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)—aims to build climate-resilient societies by placing women at the center of climate solutions. This workshop further advanced that mission, offering a promising outlook for more equitable and sustainable climate action in Bangladesh.

Faith Leaders Unite to Safeguard Community Resources in Rohingya Camps

In an inspiring effort to promote responsible use of public infrastructure, five training sessions were recently held for religious leaders in the Rohingya camps of Cox’s Bazar. Organized under the Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Crisis Response Project (EMCRP), these sessions equipped 118 influential leaders with the knowledge and BCC materials to educate their communities about preserving essential government service facilities.

Religious leaders, often the most respected voices in their communities, were engaged as powerful agents of change in a campaign to safeguard key infrastructure—such as roads, bridges, culverts, cyclone shelters, lightning arresters, water sources, and multipurpose community centers—provided under the EMCRP. The project is jointly implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), with vital support from the World Bank. Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) is implementing the communication awareness service component of the initiative for LGED.

Hosted at the CiC Conference Room in Camp-20 and its Extension on March 5 and 6, 2025, the events welcomed distinguished guests, including Ms. Dizy Chakraborty, Camp-in-Charge (CiC) and Executive Magistrate, Mr. Horicharan Chowdhury, Assistant CiC, and other key officials. In her speech, Ms. Chakraborty highlighted the importance of preserving infrastructure: “The government provides infrastructure for long-term use, with funding from the World Bank. However, due to financial constraints, these funds are not replenished annually. Therefore, it is essential that we use these resources responsibly and maintain them for the long term.”

The sessions covered a wide range of topics: the importance of infrastructure care, safe water practices, sanitation, environmental cleanliness, and, above all, fostering social cohesion. Facilitators emphasized how religious leaders could integrate these vital messages into their sermons and community interactions. Participants took part in interactive role-playing exercises and group discussions that encouraged them to reflect on their role as stewards of public resources.

One of the core takeaways from the sessions was the need to transform passive users into active caretakers of shared facilities. The leaders discussed ways to prevent damage to internal roads, footpaths, bridges, drainage systems, and solar lights—highlighting that responsible use begins at home. They were urged to motivate community members to keep their surroundings clean, use toilets hygienically, and respect disaster preparedness facilities such as multipurpose community centers.

A strong sense of purpose emerged by the end of the training as participants pledged to serve as messengers of care and unity. They committed to regularly conveying the importance of protecting community infrastructure through Friday sermons and other religious gatherings. Many religious leaders shared their experiences of communication challenges and acknowledged the pressing need to reinforce social cohesion among the displaced population.

Recommendations from the sessions included periodic refresher training, distribution of BCC materials like pamphlets and posters, and broader community engagement strategies. The leaders agreed that sustained behavioral change must be built on shared ownership and mutual respect.

The training concluded with a powerful call to action: take responsibility, spread the message, and lead by example. With faith leaders now actively engaged as champions of infrastructure preservation and community harmony, the EMCRP takes a significant step forward in ensuring that public service facilities continue to serve those who need them most—today and in the future.

As the climate crisis escalates, its disruptive footprint on global food systems becomes increasingly evident. Across continents, communities are grappling with erratic weather, dwindling harvests, shifting food availability, and rising food prices. From the drought-ridden fields of Sub-Saharan Africa to flood-prone deltas in South Asia, climate change is no longer a looming threat—it is a lived reality. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that climate variability is one of the greatest threats to food security in the 21st century, exacerbating hunger and malnutrition worldwide. In this landscape, nations like Bangladesh are at the frontline.

Bangladesh, with its low-lying geography and climate-sensitive agricultural sector, is among the most vulnerable countries to climate-induced food insecurity. Nearly 40% of the nation's workforce depends on agriculture (BBS, 2022), and the overwhelming reliance on rice—a crop highly sensitive to environmental changes—makes food production especially susceptible to climate shocks. Rising temperatures, unpredictable monsoons, salinity intrusion, and more frequent cyclones are not only damaging crops and livelihoods but also undermining the nutritional quality of food. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has already reported that even a 1°C rise in temperature could reduce rice yields by 10%—a devastating forecast for a country where rice is both a staple and a symbol of food security.

Climate change is distorting not only how food is grown and harvested but also what people eat. A drop in the availability of fish—a major source of protein in Bangladeshi diets—due to warmer waters and ocean acidification, coupled with reduced crop yields and rising food prices, is pushing communities toward cheaper, calorie-dense, and nutrient-poor alternatives. This double burden of undernutrition and poor dietary quality is placing children, women, and low-income families at heightened risk of stunting, anemia, and lifelong health complications. In the face of such a multifaceted crisis, technical solutions alone are not enough. Communication, awareness, and advocacy can play a central role in shaping public understanding, driving behavioral change, and influencing policy.

Government agencies, development partners, NGOs, and community networks should prioritize climate-nutrition linkages in their messaging. Awareness campaigns can educate communities on the importance of diversifying diets, adopting climate-resilient agricultural practices, and reducing food waste. Advocacy should push for climate-sensitive nutrition policies that protect the most vulnerable. Communication, when strategic and inclusive, has the power to shift mindsets, mobilize action, and build resilience from the grassroots to the policymaking corridors.

The Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) brings decades of experience in designing and implementing strategic communication initiatives for social change. With a legacy of impactful work in health, behavior change, climate change and community mobilization, BCCP is uniquely positioned to contribute to climate-nutrition resilience.

BCCP has long recognized the power of integrated communication to influence food choices, promote nutrition education, and encourage community adaptation strategies. Through participatory media campaigns, school-based programs, and grassroots engagement, BCCP has worked to amplify messages around food safety, balanced diets, and sustainable practices. The organization’s collaboration with government institutions and development partners has helped bridge the gap between research insights and community-level action.

Yet, in the face of an escalating climate crisis, more must be done.

• Scale Up Climate-Nutrition Campaigns: We can expand our existing programs to explicitly incorporate climate change messaging into nutrition communication. Storytelling, digital media, radio, and community theater can be powerful tools to translate complex scientific findings into accessible narratives.
• Develop Behavior Change Tools: Creating toolkits for farmers, teachers, parents, and youth that highlight climate-smart food habits and farming practices can support community adaptation.
• Leverage School Platforms: Schools can be vital hubs for promoting climate-nutrition literacy. We can develop climate-focused nutrition education curricula in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
• Partner with Researchers and Tech Innovators: Collaborating with agricultural scientists, data analysts, and ICT experts can help create mobile-based solutions and early warning systems that inform food production decisions.
• Champion Policy Advocacy: BCCP’s convening power can be used to initiate multi-stakeholder dialogues and policy roundtables that promote evidence-based, equity-focused strategies for food and nutrition security.

Government and development partners, such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, FAO, the World Bank, and bilateral donors, have an important role in resourcing and supporting these efforts. Private sector actors—especially those in agriculture, retail, and media—can also collaborate to ensure sustainable food systems and informed consumers.

At BCCP, we believe that resilient food systems start with resilient minds. It is not only about growing food differently—it is about thinking differently. Communication is not an accessory to development; it is a pillar of resilience. By empowering communities with knowledge, shifting norms through storytelling, and connecting science to everyday life, we can ensure that Bangladesh’s journey from farm to fork is not disrupted by climate change but redefined by climate resilience.

As we look to the future, our message is clear: We must nourish not only our bodies but also our collective consciousness. Let us join hands—government, civil society, media, and citizens—to transform our food systems for a climate-smart, nutrition-secure Bangladesh. Because the cost of inaction is too high, and the time to act is now.