Honorary Consul of Ireland in Bangladesh and Cosmos Group Deputy Managing Director Masud Jamil Khan and his wife Kate Jaro Khan hosted a reception on Sunday evening at their residence in the capital's Baridhara, welcoming a visiting delegation from Irish Aid.

The reception brought together diplomats, development professionals, civil society representatives, and prominent figures from various sectors.

Irish Aid, the Government of Ireland's official development assistance programme under the Department of Foreign Affairs, supports global efforts to reduce poverty, promote gender equality, address climate change impacts, and strengthen governance and peace-building in developing nations.

Distinguished attendees at the ceremony included Cosmos Foundation President and former Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Caretaker Government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, CPD Honorary Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, British High Commissioner Ms Sarah Cooke, Canadian High Commissioner Mr Ajit Singh, WildTeam CEO Professor Dr Md Anwarul Islam, UNB Editor Mahfuzur Rahman and others.

In his welcome remarks, Masud Jamil Khan said, "Concern Worldwide has been working in Bangladesh since the 1970s. The presence of the Irish Aid team here is a significant step and an indication of more good things to come."

Highlighting the global role of Irish Aid, he added, "They are present in over 30 countries, working to improve lives through support for aid, gender equality, climate vulnerability, food and nutrition, health, and peace."

He noted that while Bangladesh had experienced a mix of progress and uncertainty over the past year, the visit of the Irish delegation brings hope. "I'm always here to provide full support," Honorary Consul Masud Jamil Khan said.

Emma Warwick, Deputy Director of the Humanitarian Unit, Development Co-operation and Africa Division at the United Nations and Development Specialist at Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs, said the visit provided an important opportunity to deepen understanding of the work being done in Bangladesh.

"We've partnered with Concern Worldwide for many years. This is a great opportunity to understand the context in Bangladesh more deeply," she said.

"Humanitarian needs, gender equality, climate change and human development are central to Ireland's international development policy," Warwick added. She also appreciated the opportunity to engage with other partners such as UNESCO during the visit.

Fearghal MacCárthaigh, Development Specialist with Irish Aid, shared that their mission includes field assessments in Dhaka, Cox's Bazar, and northern Bangladesh.

"Our focus is on evaluating programs supported under the Irish Civil Society Partnership for a Better World (ICSP)," he said. "We aim to understand how these initiatives are benefiting communities, ensure transparency, and bring insights back to inform our work globally."

Bangladesh is one of 49 countries currently receiving support under ICSP, a five-year initiative (2023-2027) designed to fund Irish civil society organisations delivering long-term development and humanitarian aid across the globe. In 2024, approximately €100 million has been allocated under ICSP, including €9.9 million specifically for climate finance.

Ireland has also contributed €6.5 million to the UNHCR since 2019 in support of the Rohingya crisis, benefiting both refugees and host communities. In 2023, Concern Worldwide allocated €1.56 million for resilience-building programmes in Cox's Bazar, which increased to €1.7 million in 2024.

Concern's work extends right across the development and humanitarian nexus, and the delegation was visiting as part of Irish Aid's monitoring programme.

"Having Masud as honorary consul is deepening the relationship between Ireland and Bangladesh. I know our ambassador, Kevin Kelly, who is stationed in Delhi, has already visited several times since Masud was appointed," Emma told DC.

"Having an honorary consul really helps with everything really, between the two nations, and our ambassador really enjoys coming and there is a much closer connection," she added.

The effective shutdown of USAID, the American government's global development arm, has roiled the sector, and added to a lot of uncertainty in the sector. With no shortage of emergencies around the world, other countries will need to step up in the coming years to fill in the void.

"It's had a very, very significant effect, globally on our sector. The gap that the US filled is too big for any one, or even group of donors to fill. I think we're still assessing the impact, and we'll only know the full impact over the next year or so," Emma said. "There is a humanitarian reset that is going on at the US side. The full impact is still to be known, all I know is that it is very significant, and it is massively concerning."

She added that there is a knock-on effect from the decision of the US on the entire sector and its ancillaries, leading to massive job losses within the sector.

"It's important that we come out and see for ourselves the work that is happening that the Irish government supports, that we understand it. It's important that we meet the people that are involved in the programme and also those that are benefiting from it. Both from a technical side as well as from an accountability side, to the Irish people and the Irish government," added Fearghal.