This paper summarizes Bangladesh's developmental progress since gaining its independence in 1971. During the last five years, the country experienced close to an annual 6 percent growth rate in real GDP, continuing its path of growth despite the recent world financial and economic crisis....

Using a unique loan-level dataset from the World Bank’s Debtor Reporting System, we construct new measures of external debt shocks for 120 low- and middle-income countries during the 1975-2018 period. We identify the shock in two steps by first calculating the difference between actual and...

The main objective of this study is to examine the kinship and marriage system among the Khasi (an ethnic minority in Bangladesh), who are the only communities in Bangladesh still strictly following a matrilineal system. The study also touches on some of the key challenges the Khasi face in...

Empowerment of women is a holistic concept. It is a multi-dimensional approach and it covers social, political, and economic aspects. This paper used questionnaires and focus group discussions to shed light on the question if non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have increased women’s...

In Bangladesh, children are accustomed to working in industrial and manufacturing plants, small scale factories, metal works, construction, as well as in many informal sector activities. Based on a survey conducted in Sylhet city, this study found that child workers are suffering from different...

Health is a basic requirement to improve the quality of life. A national economic and social development depends on the state of health. A large number of Bangladesh’s people, particularly in rural areas, remained with no or little access to health care facilities. The lack of participation in...

The paper aims to analyze the critical factors of women entrepreneurship development in rural Bangladesh. The analysis is based on recent theoretical ideas that have been supported by empirical research findings. The paper depicts an analytical framework based on institutional theory, which...

This paper compares the vulnerabilities to climate change and climate variability of the indigenous people with the Bengali population of Bangladesh. It distinguishes between (a) individual vulnerabilities that are related to an individual’s capability to adapt to climate change and; (b)...

This paper proposes some fundamental reforms of the way the extraction of minerals are managed in Bangladesh. It suggests a Mineral Management Initiative that consists of three components: (i) the creation of Mineral Oversight Committee, (ii) the establishment of a Mineral Revenue Program, and...