January-March 2014 Vol XIII Issue 1 Quarterly Centre for Policy Dialogue Bangladesh the editor's desk As would be recalled, CPD had initiated the “Post-Rana Plaza Monitoring: A Civil Society Initiative” in the backdrop of the urgently-felt need to put under scrutiny the various action plans to address the problems that led the tragedy in the first place. Indeed significant amount of CPD’s work in this quarter involved activities carried out in connection with this initiative. The second monitoring report originating from this measure, supported by a network of fifteen organisations, was released in January. Deliberations by various stakeholders and testimonies from the victims at a dialogue reaffirmed the findings of the monitoring report that a large part of financial and other commitments and deliverables made in the wake of this disaster remained unattained. The issues of identification of all the deceased, compensation, treatment, rehabilitation, counselling, trade union rights, building and workplace safety came up during the deliberations and a number of suggestions were put forward to address the concerns in this regard. The dialogue demanded concrete measures on the part of government, foreign retailers and buyers, Accord and Alliance, the owners’ association and other involved actors. On a relevant note, it may be mentioned that following the dialogue, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) disclosed an account of humanitarian aid mobilised for the victims and its disbursement, a point raised at the dialogue as the lack of accountability and transparency in compensation process. In the earlier quarter, a CPD dialogue preceding the polls created a platform where eminent citizens were given an opportunity to raise voices for prevailing political stalemate that surrounded the then upcoming election. In continuation of this endeavour, during the first quarter of 2014 the Independent Review of Bangladesh’s Development (IRBD) team of CPD came up with a set of recommendations in the form of a four-point agenda to address the political uncertainties, rejuvenate the economy and revive the growth dynamism. In the coming days, CPD hopes to focus its attention towards the aforesaid areas as both demand urgent and continuing attention of all concerned stakeholders and citizens. (left) Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Md Atiqul Islam, Mikail Shipar, Rehman Sobhan, Mustafizur Rahman, Zafrul Hasan and Debapriya Bhattacharya Uneven implementation of post-Rana Plaza promises Rana Plaza Tragedy and Beyond: An Update on Commitments and Delivery Discussants at a follow-up dialogue on Rana Plaza Tragedy observed that the implementation status of post-Rana Plaza deliverables was below expectation as social and financial commitments remained largely unfulfilled. Speakers urged to address the immediate need for transparency and accountability towards disbursing compensation and humanitarian aid for workers’ treatment and rehabilitation. The dialogue “Rana Plaza Tragedy and Beyond: An Update on Commitments and Delivery,” held on 26 January 2014, was the sixth follow-up activity of “Post-Rana Plaza Monitoring”, an initiative led by CPD in partnership with a number of civil society organisations and eminent citizens in Bangladesh. Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Research Director, CPD presented the second independent monitoring report, highlighting that proper identification of victims and the status of delivery of compensation for the affected and their dependants have not been up to expectation despite efforts from different quarters, including government and RMG owners. He also pointed out that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had so far spent over Tk. 18 crore of its Tk. 100 crore Fund while the government’s pledge of reemploying the affected in leather industry and long-term financial support for the seriously injured have shown slow progress. The amount pledged by the foreign retailers and buyers stood at around Tk. 580 crore, which was half of what was required for proper compensation, treatment and rehabilitation. At the dialogue, victims of the tragedy Ms Mariam Begum, Ms Sumitra Rani and Ms Mukul Begum and rescue worker Mr Khoaz Ali brought to attention the inadequacy of compensatory measures on behalf of their co-workers and urged speedy fulfilment of all unmet promises, including identification of the missing workers. Mr Zafrul Hasan, Joint Secretary General, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies noted that it was unfortunate not to have a complete list of the victims in nine months, for which distributing compensation remained a major challenge. Chief Guest Mr Mikail Shipar, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of Bangladesh said that the government has made significant progress in amending the labour law, adopting common checklist for factory inspection and fire and structural safety inspection at the RMG factories. He, however, pledged to address the issues of compensation and rehabilitation in the shortest possible time. Addressing as Distinguished Discussant, BGMEA President Mr Md Atiqul Islam said that BGMEA has involved itself in initiatives such as taking care of the injured, providing financial support to the victims’ families and taking orphans’ responsibility till they reach maturity. As the Special Commentator, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow, CPD reiterated that the RMG sector’s achievement in the last four decades will be at risk if transparency and accountability are not ensured in addressing the issues of compensation, rehabilitation and adequate medical attention – long due for the affected workers. The event was addressed by Mr Robert Wayss, Executive Director, Bangladesh Operations, Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh; spokespersons from the partnering organisations of Post-Rana Plaza Monitoring Initiative; Members of Parliament, former government officials, academics, researchers; former BGMEA and BTMA Presidents, officials from Department of Fire Service & Civil Defence; labour leaders, architects, green activists and other stakeholders.
Transcript
January-March 2014Vol XIII Issue 1 Quarterly
Centre forPolicyDialogueBangladesh
the editor's desk
As would be recalled, CPD had initiated the “Post-Rana
Plaza Monitoring: A Civil Society Initiative” in the backdrop of the
urgently-felt need to put under scrutiny the various action plans to address the problems
that led the tragedy in the first place. Indeed significant amount of CPD’s work in this quarter involved activities carried out in connection with this initiative.
The second monitoring report originating from this measure, supported by a network of fifteen organisations, was released in January. Deliberations by various stakeholders and testimonies from the victims at a dialogue reaffirmed the findings of the monitoring report that a large part of financial and other commitments and deliverables made in the wake of this disaster remained unattained.
The issues of identification of all the deceased, compensation, treatment, rehabilitation, counselling, trade union rights, building and workplace safety came up during the deliberations and a number of suggestions were put forward to address the concerns in this regard. The dialogue demanded concrete measures on the part of government, foreign retailers and buyers, Accord and Alliance, the owners’ association and other involved actors.
On a relevant note, it may be mentioned that following the dialogue, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) disclosed an account of humanitarian aid mobilised for the victims and its disbursement, a point raised at the dialogue as the lack of accountability and transparency in compensation process.
In the earlier quarter, a CPD dialogue preceding the polls created a platform where eminent citizens were given an opportunity to raise voices for prevailing political stalemate that surrounded the then upcoming election. In continuation of this endeavour, during the first quarter of 2014 the Independent Review of Bangladesh’s Development (IRBD) team of CPD came up with a set of recommendations in the form of a four-point agenda to address the political uncertainties, rejuvenate the economy and revive the growth dynamism.
In the coming days, CPD hopes to focus its attention towards the aforesaid areas as both demand urgent and continuing attention of all concerned stakeholders and citizens.
(left) Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Md Atiqul Islam, Mikail Shipar, Rehman Sobhan, Mustafizur Rahman,Zafrul Hasan and Debapriya Bhattacharya
Uneven implementation of post-Rana Plaza promisesRana Plaza Tragedy and Beyond: An Update on Commitments and Delivery
Discussants at a follow-up dialogue on Rana Plaza Tragedy observed that the implementation status of post-Rana Plaza deliverables was below expectation as social and financial commitments remained largely unfulfilled.
Speakers urged to address the immediate need for transparency and accountability towards disbursing compensation and humanitarian aid for workers’ treatment and rehabilitation.
The dialogue “Rana Plaza Tragedy and Beyond: An Update on Commitments and Delivery,” held on 26 January 2014, was the sixth follow-up activity of “Post-Rana Plaza Monitoring”, an initiative led by CPD in partnership with a number of civil society organisations and eminent citizens in Bangladesh.
Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Research Director, CPD presented the second independent monitoring report, highlighting that proper identification of victims and the status of delivery of compensation for the affected and their dependants have not been up to expectation despite efforts from different quarters, including government and RMG owners.
He also pointed out that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had so far spent over Tk. 18 crore of its Tk. 100 crore Fund while the government’s pledge of reemploying the affected in leather industry and long-term financial support for the seriously injured have shown slow progress. The amount pledged by the foreign retailers and buyers stood at around Tk. 580 crore, which was half of what was required for proper compensation, treatment and rehabilitation.
At the dialogue, victims of the tragedy Ms Mariam Begum, Ms Sumitra Rani and Ms Mukul Begum and rescue worker Mr Khoaz Ali brought to attention the inadequacy of compensatory measures on behalf of their co-workers and urged speedy fulfilment of all unmet promises, including identification of the missing workers.
Mr Zafrul Hasan, Joint Secretary General, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies noted that it was unfortunate not to have a complete list of the victims in nine months, for which distributing compensation remained a major challenge.
Chief Guest Mr Mikail Shipar, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of Bangladesh said that the government has made significant progress in amending the labour law, adopting common checklist for factory inspection and fire and structural safety inspection at the RMG factories. He, however, pledged to address the issues of compensation and rehabilitation in the shortest possible time.
Addressing as Distinguished Discussant, BGMEA President Mr Md Atiqul Islam said that BGMEA has involved itself in initiatives such as taking care of the injured, providing financial support to the victims’ families and taking orphans’ responsibility till they reach maturity.
As the Special Commentator, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow, CPD reiterated that the RMG sector’s achievement in the last four decades will be at risk if transparency and accountability are not ensured in addressing the issues of compensation, rehabilitation and adequate medical attention – long due for the affected workers.
The event was addressed by Mr Robert Wayss, Executive Director, Bangladesh Operations, Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh; spokespersons from the partnering organisations of Post-Rana Plaza Monitoring Initiative; Members of Parliament, former government officials, academics, researchers; former BGMEA and BTMA Presidents, officials from Department of Fire Service & Civil Defence; labour leaders, architects, green activists and other stakeholders.
CENTRE FOR POLICY DIALOGUE (CPD) A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK
CPD Quarterly 2 January - March 2014
Restructuring the fiscal framework, lending support to rice harvest and rural economy, compensating sectors affected by restive politics and ensuring policy predictability are required in order that the economy revives growth dynamism.
The four-point agenda emerged from a media briefing on “Analytical Review of Bangladesh’s Macroeconomic Performance in FY2013-14 (Second Reading)” on 25 January 2014. The report was prepared under CPD’s Independent Review of Bangladesh’s Development (IRBD) programme which undertakes periodic review and analysis of the state of Bangladesh Economy.
The analyses emphasised facilitation of democratic space for both state and non-state actors for economic recovery. Estimates indicated that political volatility from July to December 2013 caused the economy to lose around Tk. 49 crore and the GDP growth for FY2014 would most likely stay below six per cent.
Analyses of the key areas of macroeconomic management in FY2014 showed that revenue collection fell short of reaching its target, ADP implementation was rather low and inflation experienced an upward trend during the last half of FY2014, mainly due to food inflation.
CPD senior researchers stressed that the fiscal framework may need restructuring as to enhancing revenue collection, reducing ADP size, and also boosting quality public expenditure in areas that could encourage positive trends
in future investment scenario. These recommendations were in line with what CPD had earlier said following the budget announcement in June 2013 that the fiscal goalposts would require substantive revision.
The report recommended government incentives and supportive measures such as electricity supply to Boro (rice) harvesting. Rural economy, including poultry and livestock sectors that incurred loss due to political unrest, should be offered compensatory measures and policy support, added the report.
According to the report, despite impressive export earnings and significant surplus of foreign exchange reserve, the fiscal half witnessed lower remittance influx. The central bank was advised to continue its current policy stance of keeping exchange rate stable and allow foreign exchange reserve to adjust accordingly. Despite impressive performance of RMG export growth,
non-RMG sectors witnessed a significantly lower growth and the overall production performance was affected by political instability.
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow, CPD said that it is difficult to envisage an investment-friendly situation unless a congenial environment prevails through a participatory and inclusive national election, which would ensure political stability.
The recent political unrest also took a toll on the banking sector which was already struggling to recover from the earlier setbacks. In this regard, Professor Rahman expressed reservations regarding the recapitalisation of SCBs using taxpayers money, a measure taken by the central bank in December 2013. The report also expressed concerns regarding soaring non-performing loans and high excess liquidity versus low private sector credit growth.
Media BriefingFour-point agenda to rejuvenate the economy
CPD Executive Director Mustafizur Rahman presented the analyses
ERD Country Illustrations Workshop(from page 3)
Expert Group Meeting on IRBD reviewon 22 January 2014 at CPD office
provide empirical evidence and insights for elaborating research and analysis, deriving the substantive conclusions and making the policy recommendations in the report.
The workshop deliberated on developing a common approach and methodology for the country illustrations that sought development solutions in the interface of (i) country context (benchmark) (ii) transformative agenda-related national development objectives and (iii) suitability of means of implementation including financing, enabling
policies/institutions and other supportive instruments.Discussants Dr Ahsan Habib Mansur, Executive
Director PRI and former Division Chief, IMF and Ms Simeen Mahmud, Lead Researcher, BRAC Development Institute offered views on the Bangladesh study presented by CPD Research Director Dr Fahmida Khatun.
Other country studies were presented by Mr Nikhil Treebhoohun, CEO, Global Finance Mauritius; Dr Bagus Santoso, Founder, DEFINIT and Lecturer and Researcher of Economics, Gadjah Mada
University, Indonesia; Dr Ivan Borja, Director, Health Economics Graduate Program and Professor, Department of Public Health, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador; and Dr Olesea Ghedrovici, Associate Professor, Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova.
ERD 2014 Core Team Member Dr James Mackie, ECDPM; Dr Hassan Zaman, Chief Economist, Bangladesh Bank; Dr Rizwanul Islam, Former Special Advisor on Growth, Employment and Poverty Reduction, ILO addressed the event among others.
Chinese Ambassador meets CPD senior researchers
Ten participants from Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistan visited partner institution CPD during 22-27 February 2014 to understand best practices in policy interactions, advocacy campaigns, IT system and organisational structures
H E Mr Li Jun, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh and Mr Hu Hailiang, Head of Political Section, Embassy of the PR China
visited CPD on 18 March 2014
Peer Exchange Visitunder TTI Matching Fund
CENTRE FOR POLICY DIALOGUE (CPD) A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK
CPD Quarterly 3 January - March 2014
Bangladesh needs time-worthy agriculture development policy to raise agricultural productivity and prioritise agricultural marketing and labour productivity to hasten the country’s structural transformation.
The agriculture sector, deemed a part of subsistence economy from food security perspective, can be turned into prospective agro-industry leading to economic growth.
The observation emerged from the policy dialogue “Bangladesh’s Agriculture and Structural Transformation,” convened by CPD and DEGRP following the dialogue on RMG on 20 February 2014.
Keynote Presenter Dr Stephen Wiggins, Research Fellow, Agricultural Development and Policy, ODI argued against common misperceptions such as ‘agricultural productivity is stagnant, and is difficult to raise.’ He rather stressed that almost all developments were preceded by agricultural revolution and agricultural productivity can, in fact, grow faster than the manufacturing sector.
Distinguished Discussants Dr Quazi Shahabuddin, Professorial Fellow, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and Dr Sajjad Zohir, Research Director, Economic Research Group (ERG), Dhaka reflected over Bangladesh’s developments and lapses in the area of agriculture in reaching the anticipated agricultural productivity required for structural transformation.
During the open session, Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Advisor, Former Caretaker Government; Professor Dr Md Rafiqul Hoque, Vice- Chancellor, Bangladesh Agricultural University; Dr Momtaz Uddin Ahmed
and Dr M M Akash, Professors of Economics, University of Dhaka shared perspectives on recent agricultural developments in Bangladesh.
They discussed policy perspectives on contemporary issues such as digitisation of land management, producing disaster-resilient crops, need of technology for structural transformation, agricultural marketing initiatives, adjusting prices according to international markets,
In association with European Report on Development (ERD) 2014, CPD organised a workshop on “Financing and other Means of Implementation in the Post-2015 Context” at BRAC Centre Inn Auditorium, Dhaka on 19 February 2014.
The report aims to provide a framework for discussions on bringing the finance and post-2015 goal setting processes together and feed into the synthesis of all the processes by late 2014 for a post-2015 agreement to be adopted in September 2015.
As part of its ongoing initiative ‘Mobilising European Research for Development Policies,’
European Commission and four EU Member States (Finland, France, Germany and Luxembourg) have commissioned ODI, Deutsches Institut für
Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), University of Athens Department of Economics and Southern Voice on Post-MDGs to prepare the draft ERD 2014 report.
Dr Dirk Willem te Velde, ERD 2014 Team Leader briefly dwelt on the ERD 2014 and Financing in the post-2015 context.
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Chair, Southern Voice on Post-MDGs, as a Core Team Member of ERD 2014,
shed light into the country illustrations on Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Ecuador and Moldova, that aim to
ERD Country Illustrations Workshop
Significant policy impact is required for Bangladesh’s textile and garment sectors in the areas of human resource development, infrastructural and technological upgradation to raise productivity and expedite structural transformation of the country.
Bangladesh needs to ensure the RMG sector’s sustainability in the global clothing market as manufacturing is an important ladder to become a middle-income country, observed discussants at “Bangladesh’s Garments Sector: Upgradation and Structural Transformation.”
In association with DEGRP, CPD organised the dialogue on 20 February 2014 at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in Dhaka, where international experts and national policymakers convened to discuss how upgrading manufacturing, particularly the textile and RMG, could contribute to economic transformation in Bangladesh.
The need for upgradation and transformation of the RMG sector was felt following the Tazreen Fashions fire and Rana Plaza collapse that put
Bangladesh in an image crisis across the world, noted CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya.
Bangladesh’s RMG must go through structural changes to overcome current drawbacks regarding the workers’ living condition, health and safety standards and compliance issues, opined CPD Executive Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman.
A Panel Presenter Dr Dirk Willem te Velde, Head of Programme, International Economic
Development Group, Overseas Development Institute (ODI) explained that projects on agriculture under the DFID-ESRC funded programme analyses patterns of economic transformation in low income countries with a high potential for impact on policy and practice. For Bangladesh, he recommended favourable changes in public policy, and incentives for the RMG sector, which, he said, had an export value greater than individual GDP of some 90 countries. (Continued on page 6)
(Continued on page 5)
(Continued on page 2)
(left) Ludovico Alcorta, Azam Mohammed, Dirk Willem te Velde, Tofail Ahmed,Debapriya Bhattacharya, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Mustafizur Rahman,
Christopher Woodruff and Nikhil Treebhoohun
The second dialogue brought together international experts and national policymakersto discuss agriculture’s contribution to economic transformation
and growth in Bangladesh, the challenges and way out
Technological upgradation, human capital formation, skill development for Bangladesh’s RMGDFID-ESRC Growth Research Programme (DEGRP)
European Report on Development 2014
Second generation policies and intervention for Bangladesh’s agricultural transformation
H E William Hanna, Ambassador and Head of Delegation, European UnionDelegation to Bangladesh shared European Commission’s perspective about ERD 2014
Post-MDGs and Distinguished Fellow, CPD. He emphasised that data collection has to be disaggregated, and private data collection should be consistent and coherent with public data. He added that research think tanks can contribute to knowledge generation for evidence-based policymaking.
CPD Executive Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman presented the proposed fourteen post-2015 goals formulated by NSI, Southern Voice and CPD, clustered into five thematic areas: Poverty, Inequality, Food Security and Employment; Health, Education and Gender; Environment, Sustainable Energy and Water-Sanitation; Governance and Peace-Security; and Global Partnership.
The workshop focused on the commonalities between the proposed goals and also ways and means to ensure approaches to and feasibility of the data generation processes as regards these goals. The participants were requested to brainstorm over the data measurement challenges, and also find ways to pruning the number of indicators and consolidating the goals.
A designated speaker, Dr Mahabub Hossain, Advisor to the Executive Director, BRAC stressed that Bangladesh needs to develop specific statistical system, and set up verifiable and measurable indicators to achieve goals around fuzzy areas, such as women empowerment and gender violence.
Dr Ainun Nishat, Vice-Chancellor, BRAC University noted the necessity to set up monitoring mechanism for the data generation process as to its transparency, acceptability and accessibility, and those in charge of collection and use.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), a key country-level data producer needs to consider planning for the type of data they can generate for the post-2015 goals, noted Professor Rahman.
Discussion outcomes with recommendations for prioritising and pruning the goals in five thematic areas were respectively presented by Dr Dipankar Roy, Deputy Director, National Accounting Wing, BBS; Ms Jahida Gulshan, Assistant Professor, Institute of Statistical Research and Training, University of Dhaka; Ms Tahreen Tahrima, Research Associate, BIDS; Professor Nazrul Islam, Research Director, Institute of Microfinance; and Mr Ruhul Amin, Deputy Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance.
All participants were also regrouped into data producers, analysts and policymakers to examine key issues to data availability and accessibility. Each group identified challenges according to their interface with data and drew on their recommendations.
The plenary discussions were addressed by Ambassador M Humayun Kabir, Vice-President, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute; Dr Manzoor Ahmed, Senior Advisor, BRAC University Institute of Education and Development; Professor A K Enamul Haque, United International University; Ms Riti Ibrahim, Former Secretary, Statistics Division; Mr Abul Kalam Azad, Head, National Accounting Wing, BBS; Mr Monirul Islam, Senior Assistant Chief, Planning Commission; Ms Nusha Chowdhury, Head, Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping, WFP; and Mr K M Enamul Hoque, Deputy Director, CAMPE.
CENTRE FOR POLICY DIALOGUE (CPD) A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK
CPD Quarterly 4 January - March 2014
Post-2015 Data Revolution(from page 8)
Supportive fiscal policies along with simplification of procedural complexities concerning taxation will make small and medium enterprises (SMEs) more tax-compliant in South Asian countries, revealed a study conducted by South Asian research think tanks including CPD.
Lack of good governance, administrative weaknesses of tax authorities, institutional failures and low awareness of SME entrepreneurs as regards taxation, were the main concerns identified in the study titled “Tax Policy and Enterprise Development in South Asia” conducted in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
One major activity envisaged under the dissemination programme of the study was to invite graduate and post-graduate level students to dialogues, raise their sensitivities to attendant issues, and give the students and faculty members an opportunity to share their views. Accordingly, major study findings were shared with students at the Faculty of Business Studies, University of Dhaka, on 27 February 2014.
The study was conducted by CPD; National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), New Delhi; Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), Kathmandu; Beaconhouse National University (BNU), Lahore; and Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), Colombo respectively.
Researchers from the abovementioned organisations shared the highlights of their research findings over a video conference. The regional research programme was coordinated by Governance Institutes Network International (GINI), Islamabad with support from IDRC, Ottawa.
CPD Executive Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman stated that despite establishment of institutions and efforts of South Asian governments, the SME sector remained neglected and low in the policymakers’ priority list in the region.
While presenting the study, Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Research Director, CPD said that survey conducted in Bangladesh has shown that tax exemptions and concessions in Bangladesh favour large enterprises. The study also revealed that most SMEs are not under tax net due to procedural complexities of registration and lack of awareness about VAT regulation.
Participating Indian and Sri Lankan researchers informed concerns such as increasing cost of compliance and arduous compliance procedure as
reported by SME entrepreneurs; high cost of land acquisition, need for lowering tax and VAT, lack of awareness about tax exemption for SMEs, etc.
Mr Daniyal Aziz, Team Leader of the study and Advisor, GINI said that the research project examines the institutional, policy and advocacy aspects of promoting the SME sector in South Asia. The research seeks to give voice to the SME and a formal recognition which is long due, he added.
Professor Swapan Kumar Bala of Department of Accounting and Information Systems (AIS), University of Dhaka and Mr Towfiqul Islam Khan, Research Fellow, CPD presented sections from the B a n g l a d e s h country study. The event’s Chair Professor Dhiman Kumar Chowdhury of AIS, presenters and designated discussant Dr Mizanur Rahman, Associate Professor of AIS responded to questions raised by the participating university students.
Special Lecture and SeminarSMEs require supportive tax policies for inclusive growth in South Asia
The event was a part of dissemination exercise and outreach of the study
Research Coordination Meeting on the study with GINIofficials at CPD Office on 1 February 2014
Third follow-up meeting of Post-Rana Plaza Monitoring Initiative
The partner organisations provided invaluable feedback on the draft of the second independent monitoring report at CPD office on 19 January 2014
CENTRE FOR POLICY DIALOGUE (CPD) A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK
Regional DialogueDeconstructing South-South Cooperation: A South Asian Perspective
In order to fully explore the scope of South-South Cooperation (SSC) and to help demystify some of its South Asian experiences, the Southern Voice on Post-MDGs initiated the dialogue on “Deconstructing South-South Cooperation: A South Asian Perspective.”
The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), New Delhi and CPD were partners of the Southern Voice on Post-MDGs in organising the event in New Delhi, India during 27-28 March 2014.
The dialogue proposed to provide some conceptual clarity and practical insights about SSC for the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPDEC) due to be held in Mexico during 15-16 April 2014.
Ms Sujata Mehta, Secretary (ER & DPA), Ministry of External Affairs, India in her introductory remarks, cautioned that developing countries should not be burdened with onerous responsibilities in the name of the need for deepening cooperation among the developing South.
While chairing a session, CPD Executive Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman underscored that developed countries’ policies in trade, investment and subsidies often went against the interests of Southern developing economies. The developing South should strategise their own partnerships and relationship with Northern countries keeping this reality in perspective.
CPD Research Director Dr Fahmida Khatun, in her keynote presentation “Deconstructing South-South Cooperation: A Southern Perspective on Experience and Challenge,” noted that Southern economies have emerged as strong drivers of global growth. The combined share of these economies has risen from about 25 per cent of world’s GDP in 1980 to 45 per cent in 2010. Developing Asia is on the forefront of achieving highest economic growth, with China and India being the two major contributors.
Whether SSC will be a major source to support the economies of the South by replacing the traditional North-South cooperation is an issue yet to be explored, she noted.
CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, and Chair, Southern Voice on Post-MDGs, while chairing the session “Integrating South- South Cooperation into the GPEDC,” called for developing an analytical framework with theoretical postulates to identify the basic principles, scope and modalities, instruments and triggers of
SSC. He said that heterogeneity of the global South could be a source of tension since it could lead to inequality and unevenness in development.
He stressed the need to generate more in-depth evidence relating to successful cases of cooperation and strategic engagement embracing Southern countries and also successful South-North collaboration within the ambit of the global development architecture.
Professor Deepak Nayyar, Professor of Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University underscored that SSC was not a substitute to North-South cooperation, but ought to be seen as complement to it. In view of the post-2015 discourse, he emphasised that both policy space and implementation opportunities must take into cognisance the growing role of the South.
Other designated Chairs and Discussants were H E Mr Jaime Nualart, Mexican Ambassador to India, New Delhi; Mr M Ashraf Haidari, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi; Dr Shekhar Shah, Director-General and Dr Rajesh Chadha, Senior Fellow, NCAER; Dr Sachin Chaturvedi, Professor at Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India; Dr Saman Kelegama, Executive Director, IPS, Sri Lanka; Dr Posh Raj Pandey, Executive Chairman, SAWTEE, Nepal; Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Deputy Executive Director, SDPI, Pakistan; Dr Nagesh Kumar, Director, UNESCAP’s South and South-West Asia Office.
and raising productivity by cutting the unit cost down, etc.
Special Guest, Former Education Minister Dr M Osman Farruk felt that GDP growth is not the only means for transition into a middle-income country for Bangladesh, that already had structural transformations from an agriculture-based economy. He stressed upon developing knowledge-based
economy, macroeconomic interventions for higher value crops for higher value in the market; and investing on researchers and scientists for a quantum shift in Bangladesh economy.
Chief Guest Mr A H M Mustafa Kamal, MP, Hon’ble Minister for Planning, shed light into the government’s measures and future plans for the agriculture sector. In this regard, Dr Shamsul
Alam, Member, General Economics Division (GED), Planning Commission, pointed out that high-cost of business, technological stagnancy, middle-men menace and transport syndicate are causing low agricultural growth and low income for farmers. The government needs to conduct more research to diversify agriculture and develop new varieties and yielding capacity, he added.
The compilation of articles authored by CPD R e s e a r c h Director Dr Fahmida Khatun presents an informative and coherent analysis
of critical issues on Bangladesh economy in domestic and international contexts.
The book touched upon issues including trends and dynamics of growth, budgetary policy and fiscal framework, inflation and monetary policy, investment, climate change, foreign aid, gender-friendly economy, remittances, RMG and banking sector.
At the launching ceremony of the book on 22 February 2014, Chief Guest Professor Dr Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Adviser to the Hon’ble Prime
Minister, said that the book would be helpful to everyone, especially those without economics background.
The book received appreciations from Professor Wahiduddin Mahmud, Member, UN Committee for Development Policy; Dr A B M Azizul Islam, Visiting Professor, BRAC University and eminent economist Dr Akbar Ali Khan, all Former Advisors to the Caretaker Government; and Dr Sultan Hafeez Rahman, Executive Director of Institute of Governance Studies.
Dr Khatun expected the book to be of interest to a broad section of people including economists, researchers, analysts, policymakers, students, development activists and journalists. It was jointly published by CPD and Agamee Prakashani on the occasion of Amar Ekushey Boimela 2014.
The compilation of articles authored by CPD R e s e a r c h Director Dr Fahmida Khatunpresents an informative and coherent analysis
of critical issues on Bangladesh economy in domestic and international contexts.
The book touched upon issues including trends and dynamics of growth, budgetary policy and fiscal framework, inflation and monetary policy, investment, climate change, foreign aid, gender-friendly economy, remittances, RMG and banking sector.
At the launching ceremony of the book on 22 February 2014, Chief Guest Professor Dr Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Adviser to the Hon’ble Prime
Minister, said that the book would be helpful to everyone, especially those without economics background.
The book received appreciations from Professor Wahiduddin Mahmud, Member, UN Committee for Development Policy; Dr A B M Azizul Islam, Visiting Professor, BRAC University and eminent economist Dr Akbar Ali Khan, all Former Advisors to the Caretaker Government; and Dr Sultan Hafeez Rahman, Executive Director of Institute of Governance Studies.
Dr Khatun expected the book to be of interest to a broad section of people including economists, researchers, analysts, policymakers, students, development activists and journalists. It was jointly published by CPD and Agamee Prakashani on the occasion of Amar Ekushey Boimela 2014.
(left) Sultan Hafeez Rahman, Gowher Rizvi, Akbar Ali Khan, Rehman Sobhan,A B M Azizul Islam, Khushi Kabir and Fahmida Khatun
(left) Shekhar Shah, Sujata Mehta and Debapriya Bhattacharya
CENTRE FOR POLICY DIALOGUE (CPD) A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK
CPD Quarterly 6 January - March 2014
Technological upgradation(from page 3)
Research Division Report
National ForaRehman Sobhan, Chairman Attended Joint Regional Conference Rethinking Political Development:
Cultures, Civilizations and Identity, organised by International Political Science Association (IPSA), during 1-2 February 2014.
As the Chief Guest, addressed the report launch of “Bangladesh 2013: Governance Trends and Perceptions,” organised by Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), on 15 February 2014.
Attended a mock debate on “Government is Liberal to Opposition on Political Consensus” organised by Debate for Democracy, on 7 March 2014.
Addressed a dissemination seminar on Religion, Minority Status of Trust: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Bangladesh and India, jointly organised by International Growth Centre, Institute of Governance Studies (IGS) and BRAC Development Institute (BDI), on 9 March 2014.
Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director Was a Designated Discussant on “Emerging Perspectives Within and
Architecture of Post-2015 Development Agenda: Bangladesh Perspective” at the seminar Contemporary Development Debate: Bangladesh in the Global Context, organised by BIISS, on 5 February 2014.
As the Guest of Honour, addressed a seminar on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day 2014, organised by Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) and Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), on 15 March 2014.
Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow As a Special Guest, addressed the seminar Garments Accessories and
Packaging Industries of Bangladesh: Growth, Social Compliance and Environmental Issues, organised by Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturer and Exporters Association (BGAPMEA), on 9 March 2014.
Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Research Director As a Discussant, addressed the inaugural session of the World
Conference Series 2014 on NRB Talent, Remittances and Investment for Development, organised by Centre for NRB, on 4 March 2014.
Md. Zafar Sadique, Senior Research Associate and Ms Shahida Pervin, Research Associate Attended a Workshop on Compilation of National Accounts, conducted by
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), during 16-20 February 2014.
Independent Review of Bangladesh’s Development (IRBD)As part of its continuous monitoring of the Bangladesh economy CPD prepared the second reading of the IRBD report. The document addresses three specific areas: (i) an assessment of macroeconomic developments during the first half of FY2014, from the particular perspective of capturing the impact and implications of the protracted political turmoil of the recent past; (ii) consequences of the impacts for macroeconomic management and the required adjustments in policies; and (iii) taking cue from the above, to undertake projections on growth prospects, and identify required policy measures in view of the emerging challenges. The detailed analysis includes performances of four critical sectors – agriculture, banking, export and manufacturing, and comes with a set of policy suggestions.
Connecting South Asia and South East Asia: Bangladesh PerspectiveBangladesh has lost its heritage as a bridge between South Asia and South East Asia, and currently it is one of the most disconnected countries in the region, bereft of its once acclaimed locational advantage. Thankfully, now the discourse is shifting towards concrete measures to reestablish Bangladesh’s connectivity with the South and South East Asian regions, which could enable her to translate the potential opportunities to benefit her economy and her people through strengthened regional and global integration. A cross-country study “Connecting South Asia and South East Asia” has been initiated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) where CPD carried out the ‘Bangladesh Country Study’. It mainly analyses the progress of initiatives related to connectivity between Bangladesh and South Asia and South East Asia, and identifies major challenges for implementation of those initiatives, and put forward suggestions for strengthening those initiatives with a view to ensuring possible benefits. The study is led by Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director and Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Research Diretor, CPD; other members of the team are Ms Mehruna Islam Chowdhury, Senior Research Associate and Ms Farzana Sehrin, Research Associate, CPD. The study is expected to be completed in May 2014.
Deconstructing South-South Cooperation:A Southern Perspective on Experience and ChallengesPrepared under the Southern Voice on Post MDGs, the paper deconstructs various dimensions and potential opportunities of South-South cooperation and sheds useful light on this emerging phenomenon that is commanding increasing interest from the perspectives of both developmental theory and praxis. The paper contributes to the preparatory process for the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPDEC) in Mexico during 15-16 April 2014. It builds on an earlier draft which was deliberated at a regional outreach in New Delhi, India on “Deconstructing South-South Cooperation: A South Asian Perspective”, organised by the Southern Voice on Post-MDGs in partnership with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), New Delhi and CPD during 27-28 March 2014. Authored by Dr Fahmida Khatun, Research Director, and Mr Mohammad Afshar Ali, Research Associate, CPD, the paper received overall guidance from CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya and Chair, Southern Voice on Post-MDGs and Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director, CPD.
Minimum Wage in the RMG Sector of Bangladesh: Definition, Determination Method and LevelsIn view of the debated minimum wage in the RMG sector of Bangladesh, this study findings come up with a definition and method for calculation of the minimum wage based on the ILO Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131). Based on the definition, minimum wage should be sufficient enough to meet the workers’ and their families’ basic needs, and provide some discretionary income. As defined, the minimum wage has been estimated under three scenarios – poverty line, actual expenditure and aspirational diet. Considering the industry’s capacity, the study proposed a phase-wise implementation of the minimum wage under which about 80 per cent of the proposed wage (Tk. 8,200) equivalent to Tk. 6,500 could be provided in the first phase. Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Director and Ms Saifa Raz, Research Associate, CPD authored the paper.
Panel Presenters Mr Azam Mohammed, Former Executive Director General and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan and Mr Nikhil Treebhoohun, CEO, Global Finance Mauritius presented cases on how Pakistan and Mauritius handled upgradation challenges of garments and textile industries. Mr Treebhoohun observed that Bangladesh’s RMG is challenged by factors such as labour management, political instability, complicated banking procedures, inefficient customs, autocratic management, lack of training, infrastructure, etc.
Among other recommendations, Dr Ludovico Alcorta, Director, Development Policy, Statistics and Research Branch, UNIDO argued that industries grow as GDP per capita rises and reach a peak level before declination. In view of the global
growth prospects of textile industries, Bangladesh’s manufacturing industries still have the potential to grow before reaching the aforesaid peak level and then shifting to another level of industrialisation.
Noting the importance of skills development, Panel Presenter Dr Christopher M Woodruff, Professor of Economics, University of Warwick, UK pointed out that the positive impact of mid-level management training in manufacturing sector in various countries has been reflected in substantial variation in management quality and decline in product defect rate. Production requires innovation as goods become more complex, he added.
Chief Guest Mr Tofail Ahmed, MP, Minister for Commerce of Bangladesh said that the current government has prioritised investment and
industrialisation. He called for a comprehensive plan of action with policymakers and business leaders.
On a relevant note, the Minister mentioned that Bangladesh would fulfil all conditions for restoring the GSP facilities by March 2014 and send a position paper to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) office by April 2014.
Special Guest Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Former Minister for Science and ICT urged the RMG exporters to abandon intra-firm competition of offering low price for more orders, and instead pay Tk. 8,000 in minimum wage to the workers.
Former BGMEA President Mr Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez and CPD Additional Research Director Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem offered expert opinions as Designated Respondents.
CENTRE FOR POLICY DIALOGUE (CPD) A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK
CPD Quarterly 7 January - March 2014
Rehman Sobhan, Chairman Participated at the Conference The Status and Role of Social Science
Research in Asian Countries, organised by Indian Council of Social Science Research and TTI, during 13-15 March 2014, in New Delhi, India.
Delivered a lecture on “Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza Disaster: Perspectives on the Political Economy of Globalisation” at Observer Research Foundation (ORF), on 18 March 2014, in New Delhi, India.
Rehman Sobhan and Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow Were Panel Discussants at the International Symposium Towards a
Desirable Future for India in an Increasingly Globalized Society, organised by Institute for Human Development, during 9-11 March 2014, New Delhi, India.
Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director Made a Presentation "Salient Features of the Country Studies on the
Economy of Tomorrow: Bangladesh" at a Seminar on “Economic Policies for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in South Asia,” as part of South Asian Regional Forum on Economy of Tomorrow, organised by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and SDPI, during 23-25 February 2014, in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Addressed Seminar on India’s Engagement with Bangladesh and Myanmar, organised by M A K Azad Institute of Asian Studies, during 6-7 March 2014, in Kolkata, India.
Was a Discussant on “SAFTA Liberalization: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects” and Moderated discussion on “Informal Trade in SAARC” in Roundtable Meeting on SAARC Regional Economic Integration, organised by ADB, during 24-25 March 2014, in Manila, Philippines.
Chaired the Session “South Asian Experience with SSC” at a Dialogue on Deconstructing South-South Cooperation: A South Asian Perspective, organised by NCAER, CPD and Southern Voice on Post-MDGs, during 27-28 March 2014, in New Delhi, India.
Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow Was a Discussant on “A New Framework for Poverty Eradication and
Sustainable Development” at the Conference The Post-2015 Development Framework: Priorities for the LDCs, organised by Wilton Park, on 29 January 2014, in West Sussex, UK.
Moderated the Session “Data-enabled National, Regional and International Frameworks for Monitoring and Accountability of Development Delivery” at a Dialogue on Data and Accountability for Post-2015 Development Framework, organised by UNDP, on 31 January 2014, in New York, USA.
Attended a Roundtable Meeting on Trade Cooperation in a Multipolar World Economy, organised by Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), during 12-14 February 2014, in Seoul, Korea.
Participated at the Inception Workshop of the Initiative Unpacking the Data Revolution at the Country Level: An Early Examination of Candidate Post-2015 Goals, Targets and Indicators, led by CPD, North-South Institute, Ottawa and Southern Voice on Post-MDGs, during 26-27 February 2014, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Delivered a Special Lecture on “Triangular Cooperation among Bangladesh, India and Myanmar: The Fourth Angle?” at the Seminar India’s Engagement with Bangladesh and Myanmar, organised by M A K Azad Institute of Asian Studies, during 6-7 March 2014, in Kolkata, India.
Chaired a Panel Discussion on “Integrating SSC in GPEDC” at a Dialogue on Deconstructing South-South Cooperation: A South Asian Perspective, organised by NCAER and CPD, in association with Southern Voice on Post-MDGs, during 27-28 March 2014, in New Delhi, India.
Anisatul Fatema Yousuf, Director, Dialogue and Communication; Avra Bhattacharjee, Deputy Director, Dialogue and Outreach and Muhammad Nabil, Dialogue Associate Participated at a Workshop on Developing a Strategic Approach to Policy
Engagement and Communication (PEC), organised by TTI, Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and Practical Action, Nepal during 11-12 February 2014 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Fahmida Khatun, Research Director Made a Presentation “Deconstructing South-South Cooperation: A Southern
Perspective on Experience and Challenge,” at Deconstructing South-South Cooperation: A South Asian Perspective, organised by NCAER, CPD and SV on Post MDGs, during 27-28 March 2014, in New Delhi, India.
Mustafizur Rahman, Debapriya Bhattacharya and Fahmida Khatun Were Discussants at a Seminar on Regional Cooperation on Trade, Climate
Change and Food Security in South Asia: Some Reflections and Way Forward, organised by SAWTEE, Oxfam and Swedish Standards Institute (SIS), during 13-14 March 2014, in Lalitpur, Nepal.
Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Research Director Made a Presentation “Work Place Challenges in RMG Sector Supply
Chain of Bangladesh: Changing Perspective on Social Dialogue,” at ASEM Seminar on Promotion of Social Dialogue, during 10-11 March 2014, in Brussels, Belgium.
Made a Presentation “Regional Investment Cooperation under Proposed South Asia Economic Union: State of FDI Policies, Trends, Challenges and Outlook,” at Roundtable Meeting on SAARC Regional Economic Integration, organised by ADB, during 24-25 March 2014, in Manila, Philippines.
Towfiqul Islam Khan, Research Fellow Attended an Expert Group Meeting on Informing the Data Revolution at
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), organised by PARIS21, during 17-18 February 2014, in Paris, France.
Made a Presentation “Poverty Reduction in Bangladesh: How to Promote a Socially Inclusive Economy” at South Asian Regional Forum on Economy of Tomorrow, organised by FES and SDPI, during 23-25 February 2014, in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Farzana Sehrin, Research Associate Participated at a Brainstorming Meeting on Mega FTAs and the Indian
Economy: Analyses of Impacts and Counter Measures, organised by CUTS International, on 24 January 2014, in New Delhi, India.
Naimul Gani Saif, Research Associate Attended a Seminar on The Future of Bay of Bengal: Potentials and
Challenges for Enhanced Cooperation between Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, organised by FES, during 3-4 March 2014, in Kolkata, India.
International Fora
Rebecca Wall from the US Department of State and Colleen C Martin, Political Officer, US Embassy in Bangladesh met CPD senior officials on 2 March 2014
US State Department official visits CPD
Expert Group Meeting for CPD-MJF Study Estimating Women’s Contributionto the Economy: The Case of Bangladesh on 9 March 2014
Discussion Meeting on Draft Report on Protection of Jamdani as a Geographical Indicator Bangladesh on 10 March 2014
Meetings at CPD
CENTRE FOR POLICY DIALOGUE (CPD) A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK
CPD Quarterly 8 January - March 2014
Published by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)House 40C, Road 32, Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh; Mailing Address: GPO Box 2129, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
State of the Bangladesh Economy in FY2012-13 and Outlook for FY2013-14This volume of the IRBD has focused on three areas: evaluation of the state of the economy in FY2012-13 with comments on near-term outlook, analysis of the National Budget for FY2013-14, and an analysis of the commitment and delivery of Rana-Plaza follow-ups.The volume also captures the major messages voiced by the stakeholders who attended the dialogue CPD had organised to discuss the FY2013-14 Budget.
Khatun, F. 2014. Bangladesher Orthaneeti: Bhitor O Bahir. Dhaka: Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Agamee Prakashani.
Working Paper Moazzem, K.G. and Raz, S. 2014. Minimum Wage in the RMG Sector of Bangladesh: Definition, Determination Method and Levels. CPD Working Paper 106. Dhaka: Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).Southern Voice Occasional Paper Series CPD Output as Southern Voice on Post-MDG International Development Goals Secretariat Series Editor: Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow, CPDBenavides, M., Choudhury, R.K., Hathie, I., Jahan, R., Rwirahira, J. and Suresh, R. 2014. MDGs: The Unfinished Agenda. Paper 4. Dhaka: Southern Voice on Post-MDGs.Ahmed,V., Ghaus, K., Iqbal, A., Islam, A.B.M.A. and Mutambala, M. 2014. Post-MDGs: Issues for the Future. Paper 5. Dhaka: Southern Voice on Post-MDGs.Ahmed, N., Kelegama, S., Lucci, P., Marshall, R., Rahman, M., Rahman, S.H. and Thomas, T. 2014. Global Partnership for Post-MDGs and Resource Mobilisation. Paper 6. Dhaka: Southern Voice on Post-MDGs.
Publications from outside CPDBookAkbar, M. I. 2013. Central Bank Independence and Inflation: The Continuing Debate. Saarbrücken: LAMBERT Academic Publishing.Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Economy of Tomorrow SeriesRahman, M., Khan, T.I. and Amin, M.A. 2014. How to Produce Socially Just, Sustainable and Green Dynamic Growth for a Good Society: Case Study of Bangladesh. Published in March. Available at library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/ bangladesch/10814.pdfInternational Magazine Articles Sobhan, R. 2014. Bangladesh’s Disaster: Perspectives on the Political
Economy. The Symbiosis – Indian Review of Global Affairs, 18 March.
Rahman, M. 2014. Bangladesh Toasts Economic Achievements. Viet Nam News, 26 March.
Blog Post Higgins, K. and Bhattacharya, D. 2014. Unpacking the Data Revolution at
the Country Level. Post2015.org, 21 January. Available at post2015.org/ 2014/01/21/unpacking-the-data-revolution-at-the-country-level
Newspaper and Magazine Articles Sobhan, R. 2014. The Year of Living Dangerously. Dhaka Tribune, 1 January. Moazzem, K.G. 2014. ivR‰bwZK Aw¯’iZv KvU‡j †cvkvKwkí GwM‡q hv‡e. Kaler
Kantho, 12 January. Sobhan, R. 2014. Putting Democratic Process Back on Track. The Daily
Star, 19 January. Khatun, F. 2014. Economic Implications of Political Instability. The Daily
Post-2015 Data RevolutionAvailability and accessibility key challenges for Bangladesh
Data producers at the country- level must ensure availability, reliability and accessibility while generating data for the proposed post-2015 goals, observed participants at a workshop on Post-2015 Data Test.
Policymakers and data analysts would also need increased access to credible data; appropriate data dissemination policy for government agencies; use of technology, digitisation, capacity building and adequate finance for data generation.
The Inception Workshop on “Unpacking the Data Revolution at the Country Level: An Early Examination of Candidate Post-2015 Goals, Targets and Indicators,” led by CPD and North-South Institute (NSI), Canada, in association with Southern Voice on Post-MDG International Development Goals, was held at BRAC Centre Inn on 11 March 2014.
As the High Level Panel (HLP) on Post-2015 report has called for a “data revolution,” the initiative aims to apply a select set of candidate post-2015 goals, targets and indicators to a number of low, middle and high income countries, in order to assess the adequacy of data available for measuring post-2015 progress at the country level.
To support the post-2015 framework, the “data revolution” seeks to enable governments and
policymakers to better track the progress in the post-MDG context, and equip the concerned agencies and stakeholders with the data they needed to establish benchmarks.
Data on development progress during post-2015 period has to be SMART, implying Specific, Measurable, Accessible, Relevant, Timely, stated Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Chair, Southern Voice on
(left) Towfiqul Islam Khan; Ainun Nishat; Mahabub Hossain; Debapriya Bhattacharya; Mustafizur Rahman and Riti Ibrahim
