B. Sectoral and Institutional Context 8. Urban areas in Bangladesh concentrate a growing segment of the population, generate a disproportionately large share of economic activity and face unprecedented challenges in the provision, maintenance and coordination of infrastructure and service delivery. [...] An additional 5.5 percent of Bangladesh’s GDP is generated by Chattogram (formerly Chittagong), the second-largest city and home to 3.6 percent of the country’s total population.14 Despite the economic importance and dynamism of urban areas, social and physical indicators underline the massive challenges faced by urban local governments. [...] Similar to global trends, the pandemic and ensuing movement restrictions has resulted in loss of livelihoods and jobs, increased women’s burden of care in the home, and restricted their access to education and health services, including critical maternal and reproductive health. [...] These ULGIs are important for inclusive decision-making involving their constituents and provision of major urban services, including the paving of roads and streets, solid waste management, “greening and cleaning” and ensuring the provision of water and sanitation services. [...] As a result, City Corporations and Pourashavas need urgent support to (i) meet critical gaps in service delivery and emergency community needs, especially targeting the poor and most vulnerable immediately; (ii) restore livelihoods of poor households, low skilled urban labor and the informal sector who have been disproportionately affected by the lockdown and recession; and (iii) facilitate and fo