Strengthening Local Leadership, Building Global Partnerships
A highly productive and meaningful meeting with the Start Network UK Secretariat in London, United Kingdom, focused on strengthening collaboration and advancing the future of locally led humanitarian action.
The ESDO delegation, comprising Dr. Md. Shahid Uz Zaman, Founder & Executive Director, ESDO; Dr. Selima Akhter, Director (Administration), ESDO; and Md. Shaswoto Zaman, Team Leader, Youth Engagement & ICT, ESDO, was warmly welcomed by Christina Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Start Network, and Suzanne Lee, Chief Financial Officer, for a cordial lunch meeting.
The discussion focused on strengthening the strategic partnership among ESDO, Start Network and the Bangladesh Humanitarian Hub, with particular emphasis on the future direction of locally led humanitarian action in Bangladesh and its connection with wider global initiatives.
Valuable exchanges took place on the future business and sustainability plan of the Bangladesh Humanitarian Hub, including strengthening institutional capacity and financial sustainability, expanding innovative humanitarian financing, advancing anticipatory action and locally led response, and creating stronger opportunities for national organisations to take leadership roles in humanitarian decision-making.
The meeting also explored opportunities for future global collaboration and how experiences and innovations from Bangladesh can contribute to the wider Start Network movement and global humanitarian transformation. Bangladesh has important experiences to share in areas such as localisation, anticipatory action, climate resilience, community leadership and innovative humanitarian financing.
The discussion further highlighted opportunities for ESDO and the Bangladesh Humanitarian Hub to contribute more actively to Start Network’s future global initiatives, while connecting global knowledge, partnerships, innovation and opportunities more closely with local communities in Bangladesh.
Sincere appreciation to Christina Bennett and Suzanne Lee for their warm hospitality, valuable time and constructive engagement. We look forward to translating this dialogue into stronger partnerships, sustainable collaboration and concrete future actions.
From Bangladesh to the global stage — strengthening local leadership, building sustainable humanitarian systems, and transforming partnerships into collective action.
