BP Desk
A stakeholder meeting was held recently in Cox’s Bazar to explore ways to expand the market for eco-friendly toys and early childhood learning products within the tourism sector.
The event, titled “Stakeholder Meeting with Hotel, Resort, and Retailers,” was organised by Light of Hope (LOH) under its Eco-friendly Handicraft and Toys Project.
The initiative is being implemented in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Eco Social Development Organization (ESDO), with support from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
More than 45 participants attended the meeting, including hotel and resort managers, retailers, artisans, and development partners.
During the discussion, speakers highlighted several ways hotels and resorts can integrate eco-friendly toys into their services, including retail outlets, in-room toy boxes, lobby display corners, and educational puppet shows for children.
Light of Hope CEO Waliullah Bhuiyan said the organisation is working to build a learning ecosystem that connects parents, children, and teachers.
ILO representative Akbar Mohammad Naveed said Cox’s Bazar has strong potential for eco-friendly toys within the tourism sector and stressed the importance of artisans in driving the initiative forward.
Arshad Hossain, Head of ESDO Cox’s Bazar, said strong coordination among production, marketing, and stakeholders is essential to achieving the project’s goals.
Ruchika Bahl, ILO Cox’s Bazar Mission Chief, said women’s leadership and business ownership opportunities in Cox’s Bazar remain limited. She added that the project aims to strengthen women’s financial capacity and support them in becoming entrepreneurs and community leaders.
Galib Bin Mohammad, Chief Operating Officer of Light of Hope, said structured marketing approaches such as puppet shows, product display centres, gift items, and in-room toy boxes will be key to the project’s success. He also highlighted the role of the “ToguMogu” parenting app, which has over 350,000 users, in engaging parents.
Project officials said more than 400 women artisans from Rajapalong, Palongkhali, and Rohingya camps have received training and are now producing eco-friendly toys as a source of income.
Artisan Mimi Barua said the project helped her gain new skills and improve her family’s income.
As part of the initiative, puppet shows were organised in several hotels and resorts across Cox’s Bazar, allowing children to interact with eco-friendly toys through engaging learning activities.
Memory Chakma, owner of Bamboo Hub Hotel, said children responded enthusiastically to the puppet shows and showed strong interest in the toys.
Participants suggested expanding child-friendly play corners in hotels, lobby toy displays, in-room toy boxes, and eco-toy gift packages for guests.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment among stakeholders to scale up the initiative, improve market access, and support artisan livelihoods through continued collaboration.
