Bangladesh’s energy sector: Short-term success vs long-term sustainability
Bangladesh's existing energy and power sector relies heavily on imported primary fuel. More than half of the country's electricity is generated through domestic natural gas and imported liquefied natural gas (LNG). The international primary energy market is becoming...
Projects funded with debt need to be selected prudently, and implemented timely
Bangladesh has consistently shown moderate performance in debt servicing with the external debt-to-GDP ratio hovering at around 11%. According to the Bangladesh Bank, the total external debt of the country stood at around $95.85 billion at the end of June 2022....
What’s in store for our agricultural production potentials?
Since independence, Bangladesh has gone through waves of development. The population has almost tripled since 1974, and the overall area of cultivable land has been on the decline due to population pressure. According to the World Bank data, the total area of arable...
Do we really know how hundi works?
International remittances play a crucial role in the economic growth and poverty reduction in Bangladesh. These remittances are sent by Bangladeshi migrant workers especially in the Middle-Eastern countries, US, UK, European countries, and East Asian countries....
Are we doing enough for our SMEs?
One significant dimension that has emerged in Bangladesh in recent decades is the expansion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The growth of SMEs, especially in the last one decade, has been quite astonishing. From the mid-1980s, the number of SMEs has increased...
Are we doing enough to mitigate learning loss?
The term "learning loss" refers to any specific or general loss of knowledge and skills or reversals in academic progress. Learning loss occurs usually due to extended gaps or discontinuities in a student's education. The term has become a buzzword since 2020 due to...
Reducing child marriage is crucial for reducing violence against women
Despite strong performances on socioeconomic and population fronts, the incidence of child marriage and associated adolescent fertility rate in Bangladesh is among the highest in the world and the highest in Asia. This is despite the Child Marriage Restraint Act,...
We can bypass inflation effects if we act smart
The volatility of commodity prices in both global and local markets has put ordinary people in Bangladesh in an uncertain situation as we slowly recover from the economic effects of the pandemic. The World Bank is already worried about famine in some countries. Given...
What contributes to the development of Bangladesh?
After 51 years of independence, one could say the success story of Bangladesh's economic development has been spectacular. Over these years, the size of our economy has expanded manyfold; from a GDP of around USD 8.7 billion in 1971, we have grown to become a...
Coping with the twin shocks of inflation and depleting forex reserves
Will a sizeable section of the population be facing food insecurity due to high inflationary pressures? And will the sharp depletion of foreign exchange reserves lead to macroeconomic instability? These are two major concerns that the country must now deal with as it...
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