Dr Zahid Hussain is former lead economist of the World Bank’s Dhaka office.
We are hubristically living through our ecological implosion.
The spike in inflation from 9.41 percent in December to 9.86 percent in January was driven entirely by the rise in non-food inflation.
Bangladesh has delivered decent economic growth relative to the rest of the globe braving the coronavirus pandemic, supply chain disruptions, successive wars and macroeconomic stress. However, labour market recovery since the pandemic has been anemic. There are lingering concerns about growth lacking the shine of good jobs.
Even though the challenges are pointed out in the MPS, they fall short of measures to yield visible results
The Bangladesh economy has entered 2024 with acute cost-of-living pressures, external payment imbalances, shortage of dollar liquidity, elevated illicit capital outflows, and vulnerable balance sheets in several, not all, bank and non-bank financial institutions.
The Bangladesh economy faced extended economic distress after recovering partially from the pandemic before facing the cost-of-living increases and external payment imbalances. Economic activity slowed in 2023 with persistently high inflation and erosion of external buffers.
Says economist Zahid Hussain in an interview
The poverty trend emerging from valid comparisons with the previous rounds of HIES may or may not be different.
We are hubristically living through our ecological implosion.
The spike in inflation from 9.41 percent in December to 9.86 percent in January was driven entirely by the rise in non-food inflation.
Bangladesh has delivered decent economic growth relative to the rest of the globe braving the coronavirus pandemic, supply chain disruptions, successive wars and macroeconomic stress. However, labour market recovery since the pandemic has been anemic. There are lingering concerns about growth lacking the shine of good jobs.
Even though the challenges are pointed out in the MPS, they fall short of measures to yield visible results
The Bangladesh economy has entered 2024 with acute cost-of-living pressures, external payment imbalances, shortage of dollar liquidity, elevated illicit capital outflows, and vulnerable balance sheets in several, not all, bank and non-bank financial institutions.
The Bangladesh economy faced extended economic distress after recovering partially from the pandemic before facing the cost-of-living increases and external payment imbalances. Economic activity slowed in 2023 with persistently high inflation and erosion of external buffers.
Says economist Zahid Hussain in an interview
The poverty trend emerging from valid comparisons with the previous rounds of HIES may or may not be different.
There has also been very little policy response to help out families at the bottom of the income ladder
The beginning of a new year is not just a moment for resolution. We are in a season that is about both reflecting on the past and looking forward to the future.