Economic integration is being inhibited by the poor state of transport connectivity between Bangladesh, and South Asia and Southeast Asia. This study reviews connectivity initiatives of Bangladesh and the two neighboring regions and proposes ways to deepen regional and interregional...

The study suggests an approach to reduce India’s sensitive list under SAFTA. The concept of Revealed Comparative Advantage has been used to pair the RCAs for products on India’s sensitive list with the corresponding RCAs of the SAARC countries. Four categories of items are...

Issues of Trade and Connectivity with India have attracted renewed attention in recent times following the visit of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India during January 10â€13, 2010. The joint communiqué emerging from this visit mentions deepening bilateral economic cooperation...

The present document seeks to trace the emerging trends in the Bangladesh economy in the fiscal year 2011-12 (FY12). To this end, the paper first establishes the benchmark conditions of the current fiscal year by sketching a consolidated picture of FY11 with an analysis of the year-closing data....

Employment is a major concern in the context of trade liberalization. At one level, productive employment is a major route out of poverty, and hence, in a country such as Bangladesh, it should be of an issue of major concern. There is a vast body of literature which shows that trade is good for...

Transport cost, a significant determinant of competitiveness. Due lack of regional connectivity in South Asia and poor trade facilitation at border crossing, logistic costs are 13-14% of the value compared to 8% in USA. Transport connectivities between South Asian countries continue to remain...

The phase-out of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) on 31 December, 2004 has important implications for all agents in the value chain including apparel manufacturers, exporters, importers, retailers and consumers. This has made possible for apparel manufacturing and exporting countries to operate...

Bangladesh has pursued export-led industrialisation as a major development strategy over more than two decades now • Considerable progress has been achieved in this effort; export structure has tended to remain narrow and undiversified • Export of apparels is accounted for 79% of...

This year's budget speech set out a slogan : "Towards Building a Happy, Prosperous and Caring Bangladesh". It included a detailed narrative of past achievements. Contextualisation of global trends. A revised MTMF taking cognisance of the new realities. A comparative matrix of past promises and...

This Report puts forward recommendations emerging from the Conference on Development with Equity and Justice : Immediate Tasks for the Newly Elected Government organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). The Conference was held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre during...