Ashshash Project

14/05/2026

A Blueprint for Resilience: Scaling the National Human Trafficking Prevention Fund

From fragmented support-mechanisms to a unified, state-led architecture of protection! Today marks a historic milestone for Bangladesh. 🇧🇩

Winrock International - Ashshash, in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Bangladesh, convened a 'National Consultation' with the private sector’s most influential leaders.

The Mission? To operationalize the 'National Human Trafficking Prevention Fund' as a sustainable vehicle for survivors' resurgence.

We are moving toward a model where CSR and ESG initiatives are strategically integrated into the national economy, and for the first time, private sector contributions can be specifically directed toward support-service for survivors and their reintegration. By aligning MNCs, RMG giants, and financial institutions with the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) - under the oversight of the Government, we are ensuring the "watchmen" stay on duty forever...

When the government, the private sector, and the community speak with one voice, that voice carries the weight of true change. Thus, we are building a sustainable, survivor-led economy rooted in dignity and transforming the "impossible" into a blueprint for a secure and prosperous future.

27/04/2026

At Ashshash, we believe that true rehabilitation is incomplete without economic sovereignty. When a survivor gains the tools to lead a business, they reclaim their place in society as leaders. In a powerful step toward this goal, our collaboration with the SME Foundation moved to practice last week, at Jashore. Following our strategic MoU earlier in the year, we successfully conducted a series of high-impact engagements designed to transition female survivor-turned-microentrepreneurs from grassroots founders to market-ready professionals.

📍 April 20: We went directly to the field. Through an intensive enterprise inspection program, we witnessed firsthand the grit and potential of our microentrepreneurs at Jashore.

📍 April 21: We hosted a day-long capacity-building workshop bringing together 82 resilient microentrepreneurs from eight Districts: Jashore, Khulna, Jhenaidah, Satkhira, Narsingdi, Manikganj, Shariatpur, and Faridpur.

This a diagnostic for success. Through rigorous screening and need-assessment sessions, we evaluated the pulse of these businesses to formulate personalized development plans. Thus, we are building a roadmap for sustainable growth. Looking ahead, the insights gathered here will be the catalyst for our next phase. Based on these assessments, Ashshash and the SME Foundation will implement phased, specialized training in financial literacy, digital tools, and business management. By strengthening the business foundations of these 82 women, we are ensuring they have the skills, the confidence, and the capital to ensure that exploitation remains a thing of the past…

30/03/2026

"A Message That Will Ripple Through Entire Communities"...

At the Computer Training Centre of the Department of Women Affairs in Manikganj, Ayesha Mostafiz – an Ashshash-empowered CTIP Activist and a champion of her community, stood before 30 female trainees and drove home a message that could change the course of their lives.

She spoke of false promises and dangerous roads. She spoke of brokers who prey on desperation, of job offers that sound too good to be true, and of the critical importance of verifying every opportunity through proper, Government-approved channels before taking life-changing decisions. She asked every woman in that room to carry this knowledge beyond its walls and into their homes and their communities.

This is what Ashshash's CTIP Activists do! Trained, empowered, and operating at a level of expertise that places them shoulder-to-shoulder with Government institutions, they are filling critical gaps in Bangladesh's counter-trafficking and safe migration awareness architecture.

These 30 women left the room more informed, more alert, and more committed to making decisions that protect themselves and the people they love…

08/03/2026

“ What We Gave Them, They Gave Back to the World… ”

These women refused to be defined by what was done to them. Today, they are defined by what they built from the ruins of it. They returned to communities that met them with whispers and closed doors. They faced stigma that would have silenced most. And yet, they stood up and built something the world could marvel...

Today, they run businesses. They mentor vulnerable women. They counsel survivors. They sensitize their communities. They are women everyone once disparaged, and now turns to.

On , Ashshash celebrates their resilience not as survivors of their past, but as architects of their future and guardians of their communities.

Because this is what truly means. When you give a woman her dignity, equitable opportunities, and the belief that she can – she gives an entire community its faith back.

07/03/2026

🌸 On the Eve of International Women's Day 2026 – Two Women. Two Battles. One Unstoppable Truth…

When Mukta returned from Saudi Arabia, she had nothing to show for it but invisible scars and once-known-faces that met her with shame. When Sharifa was repatriated from India, she carried the weight of a broken soul and a world that had turned its back on her.

Today, both women stand as national icons – recipients of the "Shrestha Joyee" (Exemplary Winner) and "Indomitable Woman of the Year, 2025" awards, recognized by the Government of Bangladesh at the Divisional level. Out of thousands of women across eight Divisions, their resilience and stories of transformation stood out. Not despite their past, but because of what they built from its ashes.

This International Women's Day, the world embraces the theme – and Mukta and Sharifa are living proof of its truth. When we give survivors the tools to heal, the space to grow, and the dignity they deserve, the whole world gains. In leaders, in advocates, and in changemakers.

Mukta now runs a thriving clothing business in Shariatpur and has reached over 500 people with important messaging on safe migration and trafficking prevention issues. Sharifa owns her own cosmetics and boutique shop in Jashore, has counselled over 40 child marriage victims, and has personally identified 9 fellow survivors – connecting them to services that transformed her own life…

Their journeys from trauma to triumph were not accidental. Behind every milestone were the foundations of psychosocial healing, career counselling and training, entrepreneurship support, and a community rebuilt around their dignity. Because survivors are not burdens. With the right support, they become the leaders of tomorrow.

03/03/2026

Yesterday marked a historic milestone for Ashshash!

Winrock International - Ashshash signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SME Foundation – a strategic partnership designed to elevate our survivor-turned-microentrepreneurs from the foundation built by the project, into the heart of the national economy.

Through this MoU, we are co-developing a robust ecosystem for our beneficiaries that includes:

✅ Specialized Business Training: Jointly designed capacity development programs in sectors like handicrafts, agriculture, and light manufacturing.

✅ Financial Readiness: "Business Pitch" bootcamps and workshops to make entrepreneurs credit-ready for formal banking.

✅ Market Access: A dedicated "Inclusive Entrepreneurship Pavilion" at flagship SME Fairs to showcase survivor-led products to national buyers.

✅ Policy Integration: Ensuring survivors are officially recognized within Governmental support schemes and national industrial policies.

We were honored to have the signing ceremony graced by distinguished leadership from the SME Foundation and Winrock International – Ashshash: Anwar Hossain Chowdhury, Managing Director, SME Foundation ; Dipta Raksh*t, Country Representative, Bangladesh & Project Director - Ashshash, Winrock International ; Farzana Khan, Deputy Managing Director (Women Entrepreneurship Development, Cluster Development, ICT, and Technology Development) ; Md. Nazeem Hassan Satter, Deputy Managing Director (General Administration, Credit Facilitation, Market Access, and Project Management) ; Md. Masudur Rahman, Deputy General Manager (Women Entrepreneurship Development, Cluster Development); Golam Rabbani, Senior Manager – Training & Employment, Ashshash, Winrock International ; and Mrinmoy Mohajan, Specialist – Policy Advocacy, Ashshash, Winrock International.

This partnership also aims to enrich the national SME landscape by integrating a high-potential and resilient segment of microentrepreneurs. We aspire to gain an institutional gateway to scale our project’s impacts, ensuring our 5,000 beneficiaries have a support system that outlives the project cycle.

25/02/2026

With a heavy heart, Imran took one last look at the land he once called his own. Sold, to buy his freedom from a faraway prison. For him, the ‘Golden Ticket’ seemed within reach on the shorelines of Italy. But it would cost him 16 Lakhs and an irrecoverable part of himself, scarred with massive debt and life-changing trauma from the horrifying "Game Houses" of Libya…Today, he stands proud and tall – symbol of a miraculous turnaround that is inspiring everyone who refused to sympathize with his ordeal, once.

At the center of this transformation is a unique and visionary venture empowered by Ashshash and its partner at Shariatpur – Shariatpur Development Society (SDS). Imran has emerged as a pioneering mushroom cultivator and farmer in his Upazila. This rare business model has proven to be a gamechanger, with his high-quality homegrown mushrooms surging in demand across the entire District, and his farm becoming a local sensation. As he now prepares to scale this flourishing business through linkages with local and national super-shop franchises, Imran is proving that a survivor’s resolve is the most fertile ground for success.

He is no longer the man who lost his land; he is the trailblazer who found a way to make his future bloom from the darkest of places.

09/02/2026

Healing Finds a Home: A Milestone for Mental Health in Narsingdi

We are thrilled to announce a major leap forward in our mission to provide holistic support. On 5 February, Winrock International - Ashshash, in partnership with WARBE Development Foundation, officially inaugurated a dedicated 'Counselling Corner' at Narsingdi’s Central Hospital. It will prove to be a sustainable sanctuary designed to ensure that the "invisible wounds" of trauma are met with professional care and deep empathy.

Why This Matters for the Community :

By embedding this center within a government hospital, we are making psychosocial support accessible to everyone - as it stands as a model of GO-NGO coordination through sustained advocacy. With project-capacitated counsellors available twice a week, we are ensuring that mental health services become a mainstream part of Narshingdi's healthcare landscape. As emphasized by the Chief Guest at the inauguration - Dr. Syed Md. Amirul Haque, Civil Surgeon, Narsingdi, ‘this center is a timely intervention to reduce mental stress and promote psychological well-being for all.’

At Ashshash, we believe that true reintegration begins from healing. By creating this space, we are restoring hope and dignity to those who need it most…

08/02/2026

“I returned with nothing but my two daughters and a shattered spirit. Today, I stand as their provider, a business owner, and an inspiration to others.”

Masuda’s story begins in Faridpur, but her path took her to Saudi Arabia in search of a better life. Instead of prosperity, she encountered a nightmare of systemic abuse and physical and mental torture. When she finally returned to Bangladesh in 2021, she was financially destitute and mentally exhausted, facing an uncertain future for her children. Through Ashshash, she didn’t just receive "help", she built the foundations for a new life. Today, Masuda launched her very own street food business. Her transformation was the heartbeat of the ‘Women Entrepreneurs Conference – 2025’ held in Dhaka, in December.

At Ashshash, we believe that providing a "market-ready" ecosystem is the key to sustainable reintegration. Masuda’s success is a testament to what happens when training, psychosocial care, and market-access comes together. We continue to work with our partners to ensure that every survivor has the opportunity to regain their dignity, their livelihood, and their place as a leader in society.

Masuda’s journey from a survivor to a successful microentrepreneur is a testament to the power of human resilience. Discover her full story of transformation in this in-depth feature by Migration Concern – click below to read more.

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ঢাকায় আয়োজিত হয়ে গেল বিদেশফেরত নারীদের উদ্যোক্তা সম্মেলন

27/01/2026

We are proud to share the successful completion of our intensive two-day Capacity Development Training for Survivor Leaders and CTIP Activists, held on January 25 and 26. The event served as a strategic mobilization effort of project-empowered survivors and youth-activists who work tirelessly on the frontlines to combat human trafficking through innovation, powerful advocacy, and an unyielding resolve!

Why this Event was A Gamechanger for Sustainability :

Mastering the Modern Battlefield: Our leaders dived deep into the emerging threats of cyber-trafficking and associated scams – learning to identify and combat exploitation on platforms like TikTok and Facebook.

Legal & Institutional Strength: By mastering the concept of the renewed 'Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants Ordinance - 2025' and developing advanced roadmaps for collaborations with Counter-Trafficking Committees (CTCs), our activists are now equipped to ensure local government accountability in a sustained manner.

Holistic Support: From grasping the norms safe migration with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) to providing primary "Psychosocial First Aid," these leaders are now 360-degree resource hubs for their communities.

By shifting the power to Survivor Leaders and CTIP Activists, we are ensuring that the fight against trafficking is institutionalized, collaborative, digital-ready, and driven by the communities themselves…

26/01/2026

While 2025 remains in our rear-view mirror, the past quarter has been a journey that helped translate vulnerabilities into strengths, and mandates into movements...We are thrilled to share the September – December 2025 edition of Winrock International Ashshash's Newsletter! From the frontlines of grassroots activism to the national halls of policymaking, this edition captures the heartbeat of communities and people united against human trafficking.


📢 Leading with Evidence : Our National 'CTIP Activists Conference' helped empower 45 youth-leaders to tackle the rising tide of new trafficking trends, also presenting bold policy recommendations to institutionalize their grassroots efforts.

💪Strength in Resilience : The 'National Convention of Survivor Leaders' showcased the collective resilience of 53 survivors who stand proud today, as entrepreneurs and advocates - reclaiming their agency and inspiring systemic change.

♀️United for Safety : During the '16 Days of Activism Against GBV', we joined the global call to "UNiTE" - hosting powerful dialogues, scavenger-hunts, and sports events to raise awareness on and combat digital violence and online exploitation.

This edition stands testament to the fact that when survivors are empowered and the youth are mobilized, we drive effective and collective transformation.

Explore all these stories of transformation driven by hope and collective action, here: