, April 30 -- A floating fishing community in Bangladesh's southern coastal region is set to be digitally and socially integrated into mainstream services through a new multi-sector initiative aimed at improving access to financial services, education and healthcare.

The programme, titled "Manta Connect," was officially launched on Wednesday at a city hotel in Barishal. It is being implemented by youth-led organisation YouthNet Global in partnership with The Asia Foundation, with support from JAAGO Foundation Trust and DocTime under The Asia Foundation's Impact and Innovation Fund.

The initiative targets the Manta community, a traditionally mobile and boat-dwelling fishing population living on rivers in Bangladesh's southern belt. Displ...