Recognizing and Encouraging Corporate Commitment to Society
The Standard Chartered–Financial Express CSR Award was established in 2006 as a medium to encourage and honour effective and innovative corporate social initiatives that are positively impacting the development of Bangladesh. CSR initiatives and actions have grown rapidly in Bangladesh in the last few years and it has added to the significance of the CSR Awards.
The Financial Express, leading English daily in Bangladesh co-sponsors the award with Standard Chartered Bank each year. This is the 5th time the CSR Award was held and it was received very well among the corporate communities in Bangladesh. The growing number of application this year also demonstrates the growing importance businesses levy on their CSR efforts in recent years, which in turn adds to the need for recognition in this sector.
The prestigious panel of Judges award three winners each time, based on the effectiveness and innovativeness of their CSR practices and initiatives and also ensuring that the businesses meet the pre-requisite criteria. The pre-requisite criteria includes companies in Bangladesh having record of engaging in not-for-profit activities for social and community welfare are to be considered for the awards. They should be able to meet high standards of business practice, such as reflected in tax payment, transparency of accounts, regard for environmental standards and labour laws, product quality assurance, etc. The amount of CSR-related spending will be considered in relation to the companies’ annual profit and turnover, while the innovativeness and effectiveness of CSR activities will also form a basis of evaluation. Both past record and on-going CSR activities of a company will be taken into consideration. The awards will be given separately for two categories: manufacturing and non-manufacturing enterprises.
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At the 5th CSR Award this year which was held on 5th of May 2014, three companies were awarded for their outstanding corporate social responsibility activities that created jobs, brought education to poor children and spread awareness on nature conservation.
This year’s awards went to BSRM, a leading steelmaker, Grameenphone, the largest mobile phone operator in the country, and Unilever, the world famous consumer goods multinational company.
Finance Minister of Bangladesh, Mr. AMA Muhith handed the awards to the recipients at the fifth Standard Chartered Financial Express Corporate Social Responsibility Award ceremony.
Alihussain Akberali, Chairman of BSRM Group of Companies, Vivek Sood, Chief Executive of Grameenphone, and Chowdhury Hasan Mazhar, Product Group Manager of Unilever Bangladesh, received the trophies.
BSRM won the award for undertaking CSR projects which have empowered 100 women through job creation, ensured pure drinking water for 300 families, and made solar power available for 40 families in Sylhet.
Grameenphone won the accolade for its partnership with the national Special Olympics Team since 2007. As the main sponsor, the telecom company supports sports among the physically and mentally challenged groups.
The jury board also took into consideration Grameenphone’s telemedicine and water cleanliness project and online school project in giving the award. The telemedicine and water cleanliness project is providing consultations on skin disease to underprivileged communities through an innovative device that allows video and audio communication. The online school, powered by high-speed internet, ensures quality education for underprivileged and secluded children living in urban slums and remote locations. A total of 360 children already have reached 10th grade in the school.
Unilever won the award for Laser Beam, a project which aims to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by working in the areas of health, hygiene, food, water and livelihoods.
The company is feeding 100,000 children in schools, has developed safe water and proper sanitation facilities for 70,000 people and taught natural resource conservation to 40,000 people. Unilever is ensuring access to preliminary medical services for 350,000 people in the char areas and supporting income generation for 3,000 ultra-poor women and their families.
