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11. COVID-19’s Impact on Bangladesh Economy

Author:
Muhammad Shahadat, Hossain Siddiquee, and Avinno Faruk
Publication Date:
11-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
This BIGD study examines the impact of COVID-19’s impact on the major economic and financial indicators of the economy of Bangladesh, including production, wages, price levels, advances, bills, investments, remittances and foreign trade, using the secondary data published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Bangladesh Bank (BB), and the Ministry of Finance (MoF). In addition to the recent impact of the global economic meltdown, Bangladesh also experienced severe demand contraction in the local economy; this exacerbated the overall economic crisis of the country. Considering the duration and severity of COVID-19, we examine its impact on major economic and financial indicators of the Bangladesh economy and recommended policy responses for recovery, based on the analysis. Both domestic and international demands declined due to the outbreak and subsequent lockdown, and, thus, producers responded by lowering output to minimize the loss, especially in the manufacturing sectors. Findings reveal that nominal Wage Rate Index (WRI) in the industry and service sectors fell in recent times, which now appear to be recovering. The national inflation rate has not been affected much based on point-to-point changes. Food inflation fell in May 2020 and stood at 5.09 percent, but it appears to have risen recently. Non-food inflation rates have been falling over the last six months from April-September 2020. Prudent measures should include constant monitoring and adapting to the latest developments in major trading partners and host countries to mitigate the economic losses caused. Bank credit would play a key role in the ongoing and upcoming recovery process, as the government has opted for a credit-led stimulus package. However, as the virus is yet to be contained and an effective vaccine for it is yet to be made available in Bangladesh everywhere and to everyone, its economic repercussions are likely to continue in the foreseeable future.
Topic:
Development, Economy, and COVID-19
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

12. Qualitative Exploration The End User Context of BCC Materials on COVID-19 Guidelines and Handwashing

Author:
Tanvir Shatil, Sonia Afrin, Swagatam Saha, Dipanwita Ghosh, and Md. Kamruzzaman
Publication Date:
12-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
As a partner of the “Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition (HBCC),” BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) initiated a rapid formative research to identify gaps in people’s existing hygiene knowledge and practice, as well as opportunities for intervention. In doing so, the study aimed to help BRAC design and develop new Behavioral Change and Communication (BCC) materials that can effectively address people’s particular hygiene behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two specific objectives of this study included investigating how users perceive the awareness messages and translate them into their everyday behaviour, and finding out the facilitating factors and the barriers they face in following Coronavirus-related public health and social guidelines. We selected 30 different respondents from Dhaka and Khulna and conducted in-depth telephone interviews, online focus group discussions (FGDs) through video conferencing, and shadow and visual content observation (e.g. photographs and videos). It was revealed that respondents have different levels of knowledge and practices including correct, partially correct and misconception on three domains: hand washing, mask use and social distancing. The study also revealed the personal and structural barriers to comply with the guidelines.
Topic:
Development, COVID-19, and Hygiene
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

13. The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Small and Medium Enterprises in Bangladesh

Author:
Asadul Islam, Atiya Rahman, and Rafia Nisat
Publication Date:
12-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
Like other economic players, the novel pandemic severely hit small businesses—the larger source of growth and employment but also the most vulnerable sector—by disrupting national and international business networks, supply chain, and demand. To understand the evolving state of small enterprises during pre, par, and post-lockdown periods, BIGD in collaboration with Monash University, Australia conducted a survey on small enterprises, mostly light-engineering firms, and young workers across 18 districts in Bangladesh. The study finds that lockdown measures caused the majority of small enterprises to shut down, and during the early period of relaxing the lockdown, one-third of the enterprises were operating at limited capacity. Demand drop and the burden of fixed costs to run the businesses were the prominent reasons behind the drastic fall in profit. As a result, workers were losing jobs and the gender gap was widening, because female labour-intensive work (i.e. beauty parlour, tailoring) was affected harder. Other findings of concern include the emerging vulnerabilities for the enterprises with lower endowment and poor access to government stimulus packages and other financial support. The study emphasises on the importance of concrete targeting criteria and support delivery platforms to assist more vulnerable enterprises. Finally, it highlights that the enterprises that received BRAC’s intensive training on occupational health and safety (OHS), along with business training and financial linkages, made double profit compared to their counterparts. However, the absolute amount of profit was substantially lower for both groups, compared to their pre-COVID profit, indicating the importance of scaling up such intensive training to create more resilient enterprises in such crises.
Topic:
Development, Employment, Economy, Business, Pandemic, and COVID-19
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

14. Is there a right way to accommodate rapid urban growth in developing countries?

Author:
Matthew Eldridge
Publication Date:
02-2019
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
Urban Institute
Abstract:
The United Nations projects that by 2050, urban areas will swell in size by 2.5 billion people, with 90 percent of that growth occurring in Asia and Africa. Urbanization presents significant development benefits—boosting innovation, human capital accumulation, and access to opportunities—but it also strains existing physical infrastructure, social services, and public health systems. To manage the challenges and maximize the benefits of rapid growth, national and municipal governments, civil society, and development partners (among others) must weigh interrelated financial, political, cultural, economic, and technical considerations. For many, the big question is whether cities should build anew in urban peripheries or retrofit and reinvest in urban cores. At a recent event hosted by the Urban Institute, in partnership with the World Bank, experts considered this question through the lens of one rapidly growing city: Dhaka, Bangladesh, examined in a new World Bank report, Toward Greater Dhaka.
Topic:
Development, Economic Growth, and Urban
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and Global Focus

15. The Belt and Road Initiative Still Afloat in South Asia

Author:
Sudha Ramachandran
Publication Date:
01-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
China Brief
Institution:
The Jamestown Foundation
Abstract:
South Asian governments are becoming increasingly discontent with Belt and Road Initiative projects. In August, Pakistan’s new government expressed interest in reviewing the CPEC contracts that they perceive to be over-priced, unnecessary, or excessively in the favor of PRC companies (Dawn, September 11). Similar sentiments have been expressed by the new Maldivian government, which is reviewing BRI contracts signed during the rule of former President Abdulla Yameen (Economic Times, November 26). Such actions raise questions as to whether South Asian states might scale down or even cancel BRI projects.
Topic:
Development, International Trade and Finance, Treaties and Agreements, Infrastructure, and Soft Power
Political Geography:
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, South Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives

16. Implementing the Second National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN-2): A 3M Governance Framework

Author:
Shanawez Hossain and Hasan Zaman
Publication Date:
05-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
Bangladesh made significant progress in improving the nutritional status of its people in recent years. However, rates of malnutrition in Bangladesh are still among the highest in the world; thus, the government has stepped up the implementation of its nutrition agenda and efforts to achieve its nutrition targets. The last Global Nutrition Report (GNR 2018) highlighted Bangladesh’s success as a result of the state-level nutrition-related policy commitments and efforts (Development Initiatives 2018). The GNR 2018 indicated Bangladesh’s achievements since 2010 in education, children, health, nutrition, and population, including measures in adolescent development, especially adolescent girls. The preceding GNR (2017) reported that the Government of Bangladesh had met its Nutrition for Growth (N4G) policy commitments (Development Initiatives 2017). Bangladesh recorded significant achievements under the N4G policy commitments through adopting the National Nutrition Policy (NNP) 2015 and National Strategy for Micronutrient Deficiency Control (ibid). The objective of this paper is to recommend ways to “jump-start” the collaborative process needed to translate the 3M approach into reality, using the NPG model.
Topic:
Development, Governance, and Nutrition
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

17. Moving Beyond the Emergency: A Whole of Society Approach to the Refugee Response in Bangladesh

Author:
Lauren Post, Rachel Landry, and Cindy Huang
Publication Date:
10-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Center for Global Development (CGD)
Abstract:
Bangladesh provides a significant global public good by hosting over one million Rohingya refugees. Most are living in camps in Cox’s Bazar district, where resources and livelihoods are strained. The refugee situation is likely to be protracted, and medium-term planning is critical. CGD has been working with local and international partners to understand what that medium-term response could look like. This is one of five publications where we outline steps for developing a medium-term plan for Bangladesh, to benefit refugees and their host community alike. The other four cover forest and landscape restoration, trade, private sector investment, and labor mobility.
Topic:
Development, Refugees, Social Services, Humanitarian Crisis, and Public Service
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and Asia

18. Gibika Final Research Report

Author:
Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, Kees van der Geest, and David Wrathall
Publication Date:
09-2018
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
Abstract:
An overview of research findings from the 2013 to 2018 Gibika project. Understanding how environmental stress and climatic changes influence people’s livelihood resilience and lives in Bangladesh. A climate-resilient and sustainable future for people in vulnerable countries starts with resilient livelihoods. There is an urgent need to turn knowledge around livelihood threats, shocks, trajectories and opportunities into operable solutions. Gibika is a five-year research-to-action project between United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and Munich Re-Foundation (MRF) that aims to advance the scientific understanding of livelihood resilience in Bangladesh, and to apply conclusions towards community-led solutions that improve the living conditions of vulnerable people. When livelihood systems are not resilient, environmental shocks will have long-term impacts on human wellbeing and development goals. By using the analytical concept of resilience, the project brings researchers, practitioners and the community-members in the study sites together to debate and develop solutions that can improve the living conditions of extremely vulnerable people. Therefore, the project promotes livelihood resilience and sustainable development within Bangladesh and beyond.
Topic:
Climate Change, Development, Sustainability, Resilience, and Livelihoods
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

19. Political Development and Modernisation in Bangladesh

Author:
Qamar Fatima and Khadeeja Imran
Publication Date:
01-2017
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
South Asian Studies
Institution:
Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab
Abstract:
Political development, since very long, has been the subject of debate among the arenas of political analysts and philosophers whose list is wide ranging. It includes from classical to 20th Century‟s modern analysts. Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Karl Marx and so many others , due to their discontentment over the political conditions around them, presented their philosophies with a wishful thinking of progress and development of the respective civic cultures. The concern for political progress under the expression of political development became more pervasive after the Second World War. During this intellectual fermentation, a host of scholars offered a wide variety of definitional explication of the concept of political development. They all soon realised the ambiguity of the offered definition of the concept of political development. L.W. Pye defined it by using at least ten sub- concepts.This article will analyse the political development and modernisation in Bangladesh after explicating the concept of political development and modernisation which have been widely and generally accepted by the political scientists. This study will be confined to the areas: the organisation of the political system and its structural coherence, the democratic experience of the nation, and socio- economic development.
Topic:
Agriculture, Development, Health, Politics, and History
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

20. Factors Promoting Foreign Aid Dependence in South Asian Countries

Author:
Shazia Kousar and Salman Masood
Publication Date:
01-2017
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
South Asian Studies
Institution:
Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab
Abstract:
This study used panel data approach to investigate comprehensive set of determinant of foreign aid and extent to which these determinants, domestic saving, capital formation, human capital, government expenditure, military expenditure and trade deficit, can affect foreign aid dependence in south Asian countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. This study used Error correction model to estimate the short run association between defined variables. The results indicate that capital formation, ,trade deficit, government budget deficit and military expenditure have positive and significant association with foreign aid in the long run while these determinant have positive but insignificant relationship with foreign aid in the short run except gross domestic capital formation (GDCF). However, domestic savings, human capital formation has negative and significant relationship with foreign aid in long run. The findings of the study help foreign aid policy makers, analysts, researchers and official donor agencies.
Topic:
Development, Economics, Foreign Aid, and Economic Growth
Political Geography:
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, South Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Punjab, and Bhutan