Economics | The Daily Star

  • Navigating the socioeconomic perils of Covid-19 in Bangladesh

    Despite the depressing state of major indicators such as negative export-import growth; large revenue deficit; falling private sector investment; rising non-performing loans recorded in the last quarter of 2019

  • Financial mobility in an immobile world

    The recent outbreak of Covid-19 is an unprecedented global issue, leading many to contemplate difficult questions that are plaguing all of humanity.

  • Stimulus for Bangladesh’s export-oriented enterprises

    On March 25, 2020, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced, in her address to the nation, that the government would provide an incentive package of Taka 5,000 crore for export-oriented industries.

  • COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of our economies

    The human dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic reach far beyond the critical health response. All aspects of our future will be affected—economic, social and developmental. Our response must be urgent, coordinated and on a global scale, and should immediately deliver help to those most in need.

  • Economic threats in the time of corona

    What will the impact of Covid-19 be on the Bangladesh economy? Overall, it seems inevitable that the GDP gains that were expected to be realised in the current fiscal year are likely to be wiped out.

  • COVID-19 and Bangladesh’s macroeconomic challenges

    The world economy is now on lockdown because of the global coronavirus pandemic. Governments and their central banks around the world are wasting no time in dealing with the health and economic implications of this crisis.

  • Implementing SDG 6: Watering the seeds of development

    Nothing is more useful than water. Ironically, hardly anything can be obtained in exchange for water.

  • How the free-rider problem affects youth employability

    In economics, the free-rider problem is referred to a market failure which is often associated with public goods. It occurs when someone benefits from the consumption of a shared resource or privilege without having to pay a fair share for it.

  • Rising economy, falling stock markets

    While Bangladesh’s economic growth is at its peak, the capital market of the country is racing towards its worst condition yet.

  • Slow death of Bangladesh’s state-run jute industry

    For hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi state-run jute mill workers, this year began with an assurance that is all-too-familiar to them.

  • RMG growth: Battling the challenges

    Export of Bangladeshi readymade garments (RMG) has been declining since the past four months.

  • Reclaiming a Moral Economy

    Bangladesh currently ranks among the fastest growing major economies in the world, notwithstanding some doubts about the growth estimates.

  • Inequality and its many discontents

    Much recent unrest, such as the “yellow-vest” protests in France and the US “Abolish the Super-Rich” campaign, is not against inequality per se, but reflects perceptions of changing inequalities. Most citizens resent inequalities when it is not only unacceptably high, but also rising.

  • RMG worker

    It is our ‘competitiveness‘ which is holding us back

    There are two contrasting contexts as far as the competitiveness of Bangladesh economy is concerned. On the one hand, the economic growth rate in Bangladesh has been increasing since 2013;

  • How well are we doing?

    As Bangladesh braces for take-off from the LDC (Least developed country) status, the need for increasing attention on quality education and healthcare have become even more central than before. Not only are these two areas essential drivers of continued progress, they are also critical components of human development.

  • Clothing as a commodity: The naked truth

    The global apparel industry has a serious overproduction issue and it impacts all sections of the supply chain.

  • Poverty’s Third Frontier

    When Bangladesh gained independence nearly five decades ago, poverty was the default condition for over 80 percent of the population.

  • What is needed to make the AMC solution work?

    The government wants to form a public asset management company (PAMC) to buy distressed loans from banks.

  • The political economy of the fourth industrial revolution

    There have been four waves of industrial revolution so far in the history of mankind. The first industrial revolution (from the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-eighteen century) took place in Europe and the United States. Dr Selim Raihan is Professor, Department of Economics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Executive Director, South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM). Email: selim.raihan@econdu.ac.bd

  • Managing Bangladesh’s external account imbalance

    Bangladesh has recorded an unprecedented 8.3 percent economic growth in the 2019 fiscal year. An accelerating economic growth coupled with a declining population growth led its per capita GDP to grow from USD 576 to about USD 2,000 in the last decade alone.

  • Trying times for our RMG sector

    These are very challenging times for the Bangladeshi ready-made garment (RMG) industry. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA) recently announced that since February this year, 46 RMG factories have closed down and 25,000 workers have lost their jobs.

  • The economic consequence of non-performing loans

    Non-performing loans (NPL) have become a worrisome issue for Bangladesh. Due to the ever-increasing volume of non-performing loans, our banking sector and the economy in general have taken a negative turn.

  • What does the future hold for our apparel industry?

    Over recent weeks, as the world celebrated the achievements of Neil Armstrong and the crew of Apollo 11 50 years ago, and with

  • DIGITAL MARKETING: A two thousand crore taka market!

    Digital media undoubtedly has a clear edge over traditional media in wooing customers at lower costs.

  • GDP growth: Illusions and fallacies

    Bangladesh has been experiencing incomparable growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) since the last decade. The latest forecast by the Asian Development Bank ranks Bangladesh at the top among South Asian countries.

  • Engaging expatriates in our growth journey

    The signifi-cance of expatriate engagement in emerging economies has led to substantial attention as evidenced by the growing number of studies, seminars, symposiums and conferences, pilot projects and initiatives funded by various governments and development partners. According to a Forbes article, domestic companies are now thriving and pose a real competition for multinational companies. Naturally, focusing on local markets and local consumers, these domestic companies now seek cooperation from expatriate entrepreneurs to expand their businesses.

  • Despite progress, young Bangladeshi women are still lagging behind

    Bangladeshi women have come a long way in terms of economic and social empowerment. Yet beneath these encouraging statistics, we find some unexpected anomalies that call for serious attention.

  • The hidden dangers of behavioural economics

    Have you ever wondered why stores tend to have big flashing signs with prices presented in fractions like 3.99 instead of just putting a 4? Well, if you did, then congratulations to you! Because, you are one step ahead in the realm of behavioural economics.

  • The ‘middle-class’ in Bangladesh: Winners or losers?

    The expansion of a country’s middle-class is often regarded as a sign of development. In recent years, there has been a phenomenal rise of the middle-class in Bangladesh, resulting largely from economic prosperity.

  • Addressing our growing inequality using fiscal policy

    Economic growth with the reduction in poverty and inequality are important development objectives in the policymaking process in Bangladesh.

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