The report, which represents the first comprehensive nationwide estimate of internally displaced persons (IDPs caused by natural hazards in Bangladesh, provides a crucial understanding of the scale of displacement across the country and offers a foundation for more coordinated disaster response and long-term planning.

The assessment covered all eight divisions, 64 districts, 4,579 unions, 329 municipalities, and 480 city corporation wards. Data collection took place between September and October 2025, involving interviews with over 29,000 key informants through 5,388 field visits, making it the most extensive exercise of its kind in the country.

Speaking at the event, Lance Bonneau, Chief of Mission of IOM Bangladesh, said, “Understanding the scale of displacement is essential for effective disaster management and long-term planning. These findings give national authorities, local leaders and development partners a shared foundation to respond to displacement with greater clarity and coordination.”

The assessment revealed that two-thirds of IDPs, or 63 percent, were displaced before April 2020, indicating long-term, unresolved displacement, while one in four, or 25 percent, were displaced between April 2020 and April 2024.

Chattogram Division hosts the largest share of displaced persons, with 1.21 million, followed by Dhaka with 0.79 million and Rajshahi with 0.66 million. Four districts; Chattogram, Sirajganj, Bhola and Noakhali, account for about a quarter of all IDPs and the vast majority, around 85 percent, live in rural union areas.

Government representatives welcomed the report as a significant step toward implementing the National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management, which calls for systematic data collection on displaced populations.

Aleya Akter, Secretary of Statistics and Informatics Division, addressed the event virtually as the chief guest.

Other speakers included K M Abdul Wadud, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), Mohammad Navid Saifullah, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and Eva Atanassova from European Union.

The event featured a presentation on the assessment methodology, the official unveiling of the report, and a panel discussion on incorporating IDP estimation into government data systems.

Representatives from the Department of Disaster Management, Department of Environment, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, and development partners participated in the discussion.

Partners supporting the initiative reaffirmed their commitment to working with Bangladesh to build resilient and inclusive systems for disaster response.

The new estimate is expected to guide policies on disaster preparedness, relocation planning, social protection, climate adaptation and long-term development, providing crucial insight into the lives of millions affected by recurring natural hazards in the country.