What OKUP - Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program does

OKUP - Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program is a community-based non-profit organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with 35 employees. Its mission is to protect the rights, dignity, and welfare of migrant workers—particularly women—across all stages of migration, from pre-departure through reintegration. OKUP delivers a portfolio of human-services programs including legal assistance, psychosocial counseling, the OKUP Child Club for children left behind by migrant parents, life-skills and entrepreneurship development training for returnees, and safe-migration awareness programs, all delivered free of charge through Migrant Forums operating at the union (grassroots administrative) level across Bangladesh.

The organization supplements direct service delivery with an evidence-based research and advocacy function. OKUP produces reports on climate-induced migration, modern slavery, and access to justice; co-publishes with international research partners; convenes national dialogues with government ministries and UN agencies; and maintains an earned-media presence via television (BanglaVision's Probashi Mukh), documentaries, and a Media Fellowship for journalists. Field research has documented that approximately 70% of households in the Sundarbans region and 88% of households in Pirojpur and Sylhet districts have at least one family member compelled to migrate, framing OKUP's positioning at the intersection of labor rights and climate adaptation.

OKUP operates as a grant-funded non-profit with no commercial revenue model. Its funding base is anchored by institutional grants from the UK Government's Modern Slavery Innovation Fund (via a consortium led by Anti-Slavery International), the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh (Strengthened and Informative Migration Systems project, implemented with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation), and co-funded research partnerships with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). It is not a technology company; its competitive position rests on grassroots distribution, proprietary field research, donor relationships, and reputational capital built over two decades.

Name

OKUP - Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program

Legal name

Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program

Website

https://okup.org.bd

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OKUP is a community-based Bangladesh non-profit, founded in 2004, that delivers legal aid, psychosocial counseling, skills training, and advocacy services to migrant workers—especially women—across all stages of migration, funded primarily by UK and Swiss government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Migrant Rights Advocacy Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ)

Keywords

• Migrant worker rights
• Migration advocacy services
• Legal aid services
• Psychosocial counseling
• Reintegration support

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Grant Funding: OKUP operates primarily through project-based grants from international development organizations and foreign governments. Major funders include the UK Government (Modern Slavery Innovation Fund), Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, and consortium partnerships with organizations like Anti-Slavery International and IIED.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OKUP - Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program is a non-profit, community-based migrant organization in Bangladesh that provides legal assistance, psychosocial counseling, child club support, migrant forums, life-skills training, safe migration awareness, research and advocacy, and a media fellowship for migrant workers, returnees, and their families. It complements direct service delivery with policy research, evidence generation, and partnerships with international donors and government agencies.

Product overview

OKUP (Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program) is a community-based migrant organization in Bangladesh offering a portfolio of service programs rather than a unified tech product. Its core services include Legal Assistance, Psychosocial Counseling, the OKUP Child Club, and Migrant Forums — all targeting migrant workers, survivors, and their families at various stages of migration. These are complemented by Research and Advocacy programs, the OKUP Media Fellowship for journalists, Life Skills Development Training for returnee migrants, and Safe Migration Awareness programs. OKUP also produces media content including the television talkshow 'Probashi Mukh' and documentary films. The organization does not operate as a technology platform but rather as a grassroots service-delivery and advocacy organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Assistance Services Direct legal aid, casework, and rights-based support provided to migrant workers, returnees, and survivors of trafficking and exploitation in Bangladesh.
• Psychosocial Counseling Trauma-informed psychosocial support and counseling delivered to returnee migrant workers and family members affected by distress, abuse, or exploitation.
• OKUP Child Club Community-based children's program offering protection, life-skills development, and rights awareness for children of migrant workers.
• Migrant Forums Grassroots union-level forums that mobilize, organize, and represent migrant workers for collective voice, awareness, and rights advocacy.
• Research and Advocacy Policy research, evidence generation, and advocacy work on labor migration, gender justice, trafficking, and climate-induced displacement, used to inform government and donor policy.
• Life Skills Development Training Pre-departure and reintegration training that equips migrant workers and returnees with practical life, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Safe Migration Awareness Programs Community outreach and awareness campaigns that promote safe, orderly, and regular migration, including prevention of trafficking and irregular migration.
• Climate-Induced Migration Research Targeted research on the linkages between climate change, environmental stress, and labor migration, including impacts on vulnerable coastal and riverbank communities in Bangladesh.
• OKUP Media Fellowship Fellowship program for journalists that supports investigative reporting on labour migration issues in Bangladesh, building media capacity and amplifying migrant voices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of households in climate-affected districts had family member who migrated internationally between 2011-2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Anti-Slavery InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2025OKUP is part of a consortium led by Anti-Slavery International implementing the project 'The Human Cost of the Climate Crisis: Solutions to the Intersection of Modern Slavery, Migration, and Climate Change'. The project is funded by the Modern Slavery Innovation Fund (MISF) of the UK Government. Anti-Slavery International provides strategic direction and OKUP contributes field research and grassroots implementation.
• International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2025OKUP co-published a February 2025 report on climate-induced migration with IIED. The London-based organization works with OKUP on research related to climate change, migration, and environmental justice. OKUP's research data was cited in The Straits Times feature.
• Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation BangladeshcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHelvetas provides technical support to the SIMS project funded by the Embassy of Switzerland. Helvetas supports OKUP in implementing the project through technical assistance and capacity building for migration systems strengthening.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Bangladesh: Large Bangladesh-based NGO with programs on migration, displacement, climate resilience, and humanitarian assistance. Comparable as a broader social-services and migrant-support organization operating across Bangladesh.
• BRAC: One of the world's largest NGOs, headquartered in Bangladesh, operating across livelihoods, migration, and climate resilience programs. Highly comparable as a Bangladesh-based development organization with overlapping migrant and climate-adaptation portfolios, though far broader in scope.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM) Bangladesh: UN agency operating migration programs in Bangladesh, including climate-induced displacement, returnee reintegration, and counter-trafficking. A direct global incumbent working on overlapping migrant protection issues in the same geography.

Direct peers

• Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association (BNWLA): Bangladesh NGO providing legal aid and shelter to women survivors of violence, trafficking, and exploitation. Highly comparable to OKUP's legal assistance and gender-focused support for women migrant workers and survivors.
• Anti-Slavery International: UK-based international organization combating modern slavery and human trafficking globally. Directly comparable through the active consortium partnership with OKUP on climate-induced migration and modern slavery.
• Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU): Bangladesh-based research and advocacy organization focused on labor migration governance, migrant rights, and policy reform. Directly comparable to OKUP's research, advocacy, and migrant rights mandate in the Bangladesh context.
• Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA): Asia-wide network of migrant rights organizations, grassroots forums, and advocacy groups. OKUP's Migrant Forums mirror MFA's community-based organizing model and shared advocacy on migrant worker protections and rights.

Emerging players

• HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Bangladesh: Swiss development organization working on migration systems, skills, and livelihoods in Bangladesh. Comparable as a partner organization that shares OKUP's migration governance and skills development mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/okupent
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@okup.official
• Facebookfacebook.com/okupent
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/okupent
• Instagraminstagram.com/okupent

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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