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UNFPA and City Bank today announced the launch of a partnership through the Komlaphul Pharmacy Initiative to train young women as pharmacy associates across Bangladesh. This is the first collaboration between UNFPA and City Bank, marking a milestone in advancing women’s empowerment and improving access to sexual and reproductive health(SRH) services in underserved communities.

At a signing ceremony held in Dhaka today, Catherine Breen Kamkong, UNFPA Representative
in Bangladesh and Mashrur Arefin, Managing Director and CEO of City Bank formalized the
partnership. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, Additional Managing Director & CFO, Mahia
Juned, Additional Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer, Shahriar Jamil Khan, Head of
Brand & Marketing of City Bank; Vibhavendra Singh Raghuvanshi, Chief of Health, Gulalek
Soltanova, Communications Specialist, Md. Azmal Hossain, Programme Analyst–Urban Health,
of UNFPA along with other high officials of both organizations were present at the signing
ceremony.

The initiative builds on UNFPA’s successful pilot Komlaphul Pharmacy intervention with the
relevant directorates of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare which demonstrated that
female pharmacists and associates are more trusted by women and girls, provide better
counselling on SRH issues, and help expand access to essential services. Building on its success,
City Bank is scaling up the project to create employment for women, foster inclusivity, touch
the lives of marginal populations, and ensure greater, lasting community impact through
improved access to SRH.

“This partnership with City Bank is a powerful example of how the private sector can play a
transformative role in empowering women while expanding access to essential sexual and
reproductive health services. By investing in young women as pharmacy associates, we are
investing in healthier families, stronger communities and a more equitable society in
Bangladesh,” said Catherine Breen Kamkong, UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh.

Mashrur Arefin, Managing Director and CEO of City Bank, said, “At City Bank, we believe
financial inclusion must go hand in hand with social inclusion. This initiative with UNFPA is not
just about training young women for jobs, but about creating pathways for dignity,
independence, and leadership in their communities. By supporting women to become
pharmacy associates, we are helping them transform both their own lives and the lives of
countless others through improved access to healthcare and trusted counselling. This is aligned
with our vision of building a more inclusive and sustainable Bangladesh.”