Standard Chartered Bangladesh has partnered with Kumudini Welfare Trust of Bengal (BD) Limited to train and provide employment opportunities for the next generation of Bangladeshi nurses.

As part of this initiative, the Bank will support 118 students from the Kumudini Nursing School and College (KNSC) in their journey to complete their formal education and attain their Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Nursing from the institution over the course of the next 18 months.

The graduates will be guaranteed employment at the Kumudini Hospital for a term of at least two years – enabling all beneficiaries to gain practical work experience and hone their skills.

Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, the Bank’s flagship community engagement programme, is designed to help the next generation to learn, earn, and grow.

Facilitating healthcare is a core focus for institutions nationwide while driving education is integral to the bank’s Futuremakers initiative.

Standard Chartered Bangladesh is working with Kumudini Welfare Trust and its sister concerns to make an impact by providing access to quality health education – especially for young women from communities in need, who might otherwise not have been able to pursue a career in nursing.

Naser Ezaz Bijoy, CEO of Standard Chartered Bangladesh said: “Taking care of the health and wellbeing of a nation that is 170 million strong is a mammoth task. Meeting the needs of our people will require an increasing number of highly trained nurses and health professionals. We are proud to partner with the Kumudini Welfare Trust – which is a role model for the institutionalisation of philanthropy in Bangladesh over multiple generations – to provide aspiring nurses with much-needed access to certified healthcare education. Developing employable skills is a core focus area for Standard Chartered. Kumudini Welfare Trust’s commitment to guaranteeing two years of employment for students from the Kumudini Nursing School & College is essential in advancing women’s representation in the workforce.”

Rajiv Prasad Shaha, chairman and managing director of Kumudini Welfare Trust of Bengal Limited said: “Kumudini has been training nurses since late 1943, beginning with a batch of five British trainer nurses who started providing services at Kumudini Hospital and concurrently training the local womenfolk. Since then, Kumudini has come a long way, becoming one of the first in the private sector to offer BSc Nursing courses, as well as the first to offer M. Sc. Nursing courses. We endeavour to bring out quality nurses, many of whom many working as practising nurses and administrators in reputed hospitals at home and abroad.”

The agreement between Standard Chartered Bangladesh and Kumudini Welfare Trust of Bengal (BD) Limited was signed by Naser Ezaz Bijoy and Rajiv Prasad Shaha.

As the nation’s long-term partner in progress, Standard Chartered has consistently been linked to Bangladesh’s inspiring story of growth and resilience. For more than 118 years, the bank has remained dedicated to driving commerce and development by investing in communities, expanding the reach and scale of services to promote greater inclusion, and creating new opportunities for stakeholders.

Founded in 1947, the Kumudini Welfare Trust of Bengal (BD) Limited is one of the oldest and largest charitable organisations in Bangladesh.

The Kumudini Nursing School and College – a sister concern of the Trust – is dedicated to teaching and training prospective nurses. Kumudini Hospital is a private hospital in Tangail that is managed by Kumudini Welfare Trust. The hospital is funded by the Trust and provides free healthcare.