SHOHOJATRA: CO-CREATING IMPACT

Unilever Bangladesh recently organised Shohojatra: Co-Creating Impact, an event designed to celebrate the power of partnership in advancing sustainability for Bangladesh. The event, with development sector partners, corporate peers, industry stakeholders, served as a reminder that systemic challenges demand collective solutions built on shared responsibility, technical expertise, and strong governance.

 

Guided by its Growth Action Plan (GAP) 2030, Unilever Bangladesh has driven various initiatives across its four priority areas: Climate, Nature, Plastics, and Livelihood. These efforts have generated meaningful impact for both communities and the environment. In recognition of this progress, Unilever Bangladesh was recently named as the 'Most Sustainable Company of the Year' at the SDG Brand Champion Awards 2025. At the core of this journey, however, lies a central truth: Unilever cannot, and does not, do it alone. Every achievement has been co-created through strategic partnerships with organisations that share its vision and bring domain expertise, community trust, and innovation to the table.

 

The event commenced with a keynote presentation by Dr. M. Masrur Reaz, Chairman and CEO of Policy Exchange Bangladesh, who addressed the "Next Frontier of Sustainability: Co-creating High-
Performing Measurable Impact Models." His address underscored that sustainability, when embedded within strategy, delivers tangible business value while simultaneously producing positive economic outcomes.

 

At the centre of the event, Unilever's sustainability pillars were illustrated through 4 partnership case studies that demonstrated how innovations can scale when supported by collaboration:

 

 

 

 

Under the Climate pillar, the Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital (LFH), a 24-year partnership initiative between Unilever Bangladesh, Lifebuoy, and Friendship, was presented by Runa Khan, Founder and Executive Director, Friendship. LFH has become an enduring healthcare model for Bangladesh's most climate-impacted and geographically isolated communities. What began as a floating hospital has evolved into a comprehensive three-tier system of care, delivering healthcare services to more than 7.5 million people. This initiative exemplifies how long-term collaboration can institutionalise solutions for vulnerable populations.

 

Under the Nature pillar, the DeshiFarmer initiative highlighted another dimension of partnership-led innova- tion. As an agri-tech enterprise, DeshiFarmer equips farmers with tools such as soil health testing, real-time agricultural data, and regenerative farming practices. With financial and mentoring support from Unilever under the TRANSFORM Climate Challenge, DeshiFarmer is strengthening climate-smart agriculture while raising farmers' incomes by as much as 20%. The model demonstrates how agrarian transformation can be simultaneously environmentally restorative and economically rewarding.

 

Under the Plastic pillar, Urefill was introduced as a breakthrough retail refill solution jointly developed with Boplnc and piloted through the TRANSFORM platform (led by Unilever, FCDO and EY). Currently being scaled with Omni StrateG, Urefill has proven capacity to reduce plastic use by up to 90% while lowering emissions by 500kg of CO2 per metric ton of product. The initiative is paving the way for new consumption behaviours that align with both sustainability and affordability.

 

And lastly, under the Livelihood pillar, the Plastic Waste Management Initiative in Chattogram underscored the importance of inclusive growth models. Implemented with Chattogram City Corporation and Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), this programme is the country's largest public-private partnership in plastic waste management. Alongside environmental outcomes, it prioritises social inclusion by providing waste workers with safety equipment, training, and skills development. A landmark group insurance scheme with MetLife extends financial security to these workers, setting a precedent for socially just circular economy models in Bangladesh.

 

The governance dimension of these partnerships was explored through a panel discussion featuring Zinnia Huq, CFO and Finance Director, Ruhul Quddus, Supply Chain Director, and Rashedul Quayum, Legal Director and Company Secretary of Unilever Bangladesh. Moderated by Shamima Akhter, Director of Corporate Affairs, Partnerships and Communications, the session highlighted how sustainability is operationalised across finance, supply chain, and legal functions. From factory-level green energy adoption and water efficiency, to transparent process design and legal frameworks safeguarding environmental and social outcomes, the discussion illustrated the structural integration of sustainability into corporate governance.

 

 

 

 

Unilever has been advancing a robust sustainability agenda since 2010, leveraging a multi-stakeholder approach that drives innovation, investment, and policy to build scalable growth models. The deliberations at Shohojatra reinforced a critical understanding: sustainability in Bangladesh is no longer a matter of philanthropy or corporate responsibility, but a fundamental economic necessity. By embedding governance, innovation, and accountability into co-created models, these partnerships are laying down pathways for resilience, inclusive growth, and a sustainable future for Bangladesh.