Revitalizing community empowerment: harnessing the synergy of faith-based NGOs and Laverack's domain approach.

This article examines the community empowerment initiatives of Islamic Relief Bangladesh (IRB), a faith-based non-governmental organization, through the lens of Laverack's domain approach, which identifies nine key domains of empowerment. Using quantitative data from 165 beneficiaries of IRB’s Action for Peoples Rights and Livelihoods (APRIL) project in Kalikgaon village, the study finds that IRB effectively enhances community participation, local leadership skills, problem assessment capacities, and resource mobilization, with particular emphasis on empowering women through inclusive, quasi-secular programs. While IRB’s approach shares similarities with conventional NGOs, unique features include interest-free loans, revolving funds, and community-led group operations, though challenges remain in conflict resolution and broader community acceptance of leaders. The study offers policy recommendations for strengthening collaboration between faith-based NGOs, government bodies, and communities to sustain and expand empowerment efforts, with implications for similar socio-cultural contexts beyond rural Bangladesh.