CCDB has been engaged in emergency response since 1972, even before its formal establishment in 1973. Over the past 52 years, CCDB has evolved from a relief and rehabilitation organization into one of Bangladesh’s leading faith-based humanitarian actors, responding to both sudden-onset and protracted crises.
CCDB has responded to almost every major disaster in Bangladesh since independence, including cyclones, floods, droughts, riverbank erosion, cold waves, fires, building collapses, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the forced displacement of Rohingya communities in Cox’s Bazar. Its humanitarian experience is rooted in historic crises such as the 1971 Liberation War and the 1991 super cyclone.

Depending on the context, CCDB provides food and cash assistance, WASH items, shelter and housing materials, non-food items, and livelihood recovery support. CCDB has also constructed community-friendly cyclone shelters and disaster-resilient infrastructure. Over the decades, millions of disaster-affected people across the country have been supported through CCDB’s interventions.

CCDB responds both independently and in collaboration with UN agencies, government authorities, INGOs, national NGOs, and ACT Alliance members. International donors provide funding, the Government of Bangladesh, UN agencies, ACT Alliance emergency appeals, and CCDB’s own resources.

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence, CCDB ensures transparency and accountability through clear beneficiary selection, community engagement, government coordination, and proper documentation. As an active member of the ACT Alliance and CHS Alliance, CCDB integrates Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) commitments into its programs and regularly trains staff on SPHERE and quality and accountability standards.