Standard Chartered Bangladesh earns two honours at ESGBusiness Awards 2026

Standard Chartered Bangladesh recognised for healthcare inclusion and job creation

Bdbusinessdaily.com – Standard Chartered Bangladesh has received two distinctions at the ESGBusiness Awards 2026, highlighting its work to broaden healthcare access and support employment opportunities for people facing social and economic barriers.

The bank won the Health Equity and Inclusion Award, Bangladesh, as well as the Job Creation Award, Bangladesh. The honours were announced in Singapore on 17 September 2026 during an awards programme focused on environmental, social and governance practices across the Middle East, Central Asia, Far East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

For Standard Chartered Bangladesh, the recognition places particular attention on programmes directed at communities that can be difficult to reach through conventional services. The bank described the awards as an acknowledgement of its long-running corporate social responsibility work and its aim of turning institutional commitments into practical benefits for communities.

Healthcare support across underserved regions

The Health Equity and Inclusion Award recognises efforts to improve access to essential health services for populations in some of Bangladesh’s most underserved locations. The award reflects the importance of ensuring that healthcare initiatives extend beyond major urban centres and reach communities with different geographical challenges.

Under one of the bank’s principal health initiatives, programmes have operated in 100 unions across six areas: Barind, beel, char, coastal, hill tract and haor regions. These landscapes present distinct circumstances for residents, making locally focused support an important part of improving access and inclusion.

More than 30,000 adolescents and young women have received direct benefits through the programmes. A further 100,000 people have been reached indirectly. The scale of that wider reach underlines how health-focused interventions can affect families and communities beyond their immediate participants.

The focus on adolescents and young women is significant because access to reliable information, services and support can influence wellbeing, participation and future opportunities. By concentrating on communities that are often less visible in mainstream development activity, the initiative seeks to make healthcare support more inclusive.

Building pathways to work

The Job Creation Award, Bangladesh, recognises Standard Chartered Bangladesh’s work to promote sustainable economic opportunities, workforce development, financial inclusion and social inclusion. Its programmes have particularly targeted vulnerable groups, women and young people.

The bank’s employment-related initiatives include “Giving Wings to Dreams for Youth Empowerment” with UCEP, “Empowering the Future” with Brac, and Generation Unlimited’s “Passport to Earning” programme with Unicef.

These efforts are designed to help young people gain skills that match labour-market needs, improve their prospects of decent work and contribute to broader, more inclusive economic growth. Skills development can provide an important bridge between education, training and livelihoods, particularly for those who may otherwise have limited access to career opportunities.

Employment programmes also have a wider role beyond helping an individual enter the workforce. When people can develop relevant capabilities and pursue more secure livelihoods, they are better positioned to participate in economic life with greater independence and dignity. The bank has framed its work as part of a broader effort to make economic participation more accessible.

Commitment to meaningful impact

Enamul Huque, chief executive officer of Standard Chartered Bangladesh, said the two awards reflected the bank’s intention to support communities with meaningful and lasting initiatives.

“Receiving these two accolades is a testament to our commitment to creating meaningful impacts for communities and supporting those who need it most. True sustainability is about making positive changes in people’s lives, whether by improving access to healthcare or helping individuals build secure, independent, and dignified livelihoods. We are grateful to our stakeholders for inspiring us to undertake such impactful initiatives as a responsible corporate citizen.”

The statement connects the two award categories through a common theme: sustainability is not limited to environmental goals or corporate reporting. It can also be measured through changes in everyday life, including whether people can obtain essential healthcare and whether they have a viable route towards stable work.

ESGBusiness operates as a business-to-business publication and industry portal serving the global ESG sector, with activities in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Middle East and other markets. Its awards programme brings together organisations working across a wide regional footprint and assesses commitments connected with environmental, social and governance priorities.

Standard Chartered Bangladesh has operated in the country for more than 120 years and says it remains committed to contributing to national development through engagement with diverse communities. The latest awards add recognition for initiatives that combine corporate participation with healthcare inclusion, youth skills development and employment support.

For communities involved in these programmes, the value lies in the practical outcomes they are intended to create: stronger access to support, more relevant skills and a greater chance to pursue secure livelihoods. The two honours spotlight how corporate initiatives can be directed towards social needs while supporting a more inclusive development path in Bangladesh.