AN EXECUTIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM ON DISASTER RISK FINANCE FOR BANGLADESH

Program Overview:

The World Bank, in collaboration with the University of Dhaka’s Center for Policy Research on Business and Development (CPRBD), delivered an Executive Education Program on Disaster Risk Finance targeted to key government stakeholders. The program, delivered as a World Bank Group (WBG) Academy Pilot Practitioner Program, aimed to build technical capacity across key government ministries to develop a shared understanding on disaster risk finance, greater awareness of the country’s existing disaster risk finance and insurance (DRFI) strategy, and support prioritization of activities / solutions that may strengthen the country’s financial preparedness approach. This Executive Education Program builds on a series of similar programs conducted in partnership with top universities such as Cambridge University and Oxford University (UK), the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (Singapore), Georgetown University (UK), and Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia). The Bangladesh edition was adapted to the country’s institutional context, financing needs, and policy goals.

Objectives:

1. Engage a diverse mix of practitioners—primarily from government, alongside academia and development institutions—to ensure broad institutional representation, peer learning, and continued participation across all sessions.
2. Strengthen participants’ understanding of core Disaster Risk Finance (DRF) concepts and instruments through applied learning, which include foundational sessions, case studies, and exercises, that link global best practices with Bangladesh’s policy and institutional context.
3. Deepen familiarity with Bangladesh’s National DRF Strategy and its priority areas, helping participants connect technical learning to national priorities and institutional mandates.
4. Build technical capacity and foster inter-ministerial collaboration to design, implement, and coordinate DRF tools and policies that enhance financial preparedness and resilience.
5. Inspire sustained motivation and engagement by encouraging participants to further explore, apply, and champion DRF approaches beyond the program—reinforcing a culture of continued learning and institutional application.

The event started with opening remarks by Kamrul Hoque Maruf (Joint Secretary and Project Director of the Jamuna River Sustainable Management Project at the Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh), Hasina Sheykh (Professor, Department of Banking and Insurance, University of Dhaka) and Sumati Rajput (Senior Financial Sector Specialist, WBG).

Day 1 introduced participants to the fundamentals of disaster risk finance; Day 2 provided an exploration of DRF tools; Day 3 dealt with the priorities and challenges of Bangladesh’s DRF Strategy. The final day brought global perspective, with case studies from Malawi, Pakistan, and India, followed by group presentations. 

Closing remarks were delivered by Jean Pesme (Division Director, WBG), Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique (Member [Non-Life], Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority, Bangladesh), and Dr. Chowdhury Saima Ferdous (Professor & Member, Center for Policy Research on Business and Development, University of Dhaka).

Post-program Materials

Program Journal    

Presentations

Please find presentations and other documents related to the program.

*For more details, please write to Sumati Rajput (Senior Financial Sector Specialist - srajput1@worldbank.org) or Yukio Tanaka (Senior Water Resources Management Specialist, World Bank Group - ytanaka@worldbank.org)