January-March 2012Vol XI Issue 1 Quarterly
Centre forPolicyDialogueBangladesh
the editor's desk
A major activity of the CPD
during the first quarter of 2012 was
the brainstorming session titled Recent
Developments in Myanmar: New
Opportunities for Regional Cooperation which CPD
had organised in partnership with the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) on 15 March 2012. The recent
developments in Myanmar, particularly the move towards
democratisation of the polity through parliamentary elections,
has given rise to new hopes about Myanmar's future and also
created new opportunities for deeper economic cooperation in
the region. Myanmar has been pursuing new legislative
reforms, the country was re-engaging with the international
community, and there has been resumption of aid flow. All
these had important short and medium to long-term
implications for Myanmar as well as its neighbours, to the east
in the ASEAN, and to the west in the South Asia. With its
unique geographical location as the 'gateway for the region'
and its significant reservoir of natural resources, Myanmar and
its neighbours could forge win-win partnerships from which
countries and people of the region could all benefit. It was in
keeping with this promise and potential opportunity to benefit
that CPD assembled a select set of scholars and practitioners
coming from the region who carried out an in-depth discussion
on how to realise the opportunities of closer cooperation with
Myanmar in the areas of trade, investment, transport and
connectivity, and ensuring food and energy security in the
region. A number of important recommendations emerged from
the discussion which will need to be pursued through concrete
initiatives. It was felt that whilst the governments will need to
create conducive environment towards closer collaboration, the
private sector will also need to come up with investible
resources to implement the projects, along with resource
allocation by the governments.
The newly emerging situation has also opened up concrete
opportunities for Bangladesh to strengthen its bilateral relations
with Myanmar. Particular attention was given to cooperation in
the area of energy in view of having access to one of the
world's largest gas reserves in the backdrop of Bangladesh's
energy shortage. Now that the maritime dispute has also been
resolved by the verdict of the International Tribunal of the sea,
Bangladesh and Myanmar could think about joint activities to
exploit the opportunities in energy cooperation from a holistic
perspective. Experts were optimistic that both countries could
reap significant benefits through investments in connectivity
and by promoting trade and FDI.
In a fast changing world, if Bangladesh and the region fail to
take advantage of Myanmar's opening, all the regional
countries will stand to lose. That was the message of the
Dhaka discussion.
Rehman Sobhan addressing the brainstorming session on the recent developments in Myanmar while dignitaries from home
and abroad paying attention along with Commerce Minister G M Quader
Myanmar brings in new opportunities for regional cooperation
Speakers said in a CPD-ADB brainstorming session
FY2010-11
(Continued on page 2)
CENTRE FOR POLICY DIALOGUE (CPD) � A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK
CPD Quarterly 4 January - March 2012
CPD had its second Retreat on 10-12 January 2012 at BRAC CDM, Savar,
Dhaka. CPD staff along with their family members joined this 2-day event. The
Retreat was planned to be held in two parts - Strategic Planning Meeting and a
get together of the extended CPD family.
The major objectives of the Strategic Planning Meeting were to reflect and
brainstorm on how to further strengthen CPD's institutional capacity in all areas
of activities through exchange of views and thoughts. Under the leadership of
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, a designated team of CPD staff comprising all three
divisions - Research, Dialogue and Communication and Administration and
Finance - conducted the exercise.
Recommendations emanating from the exercise were presented and
discussed at a meeting during the Retreat where all CPD colleagues were
present with Professor Rehman Sobhan in the chair.
During the Retreat CPD colleagues and their families had an opportunity to
spend time together and interact in an informal setting.
Extended CPD family gathered for
a 2-day Retreat
LET'S PLAY
MATCH WINNING PERFORMANCE
RESEARCH HEAD onIndependent Review of Musical
Development
WHO GETS THE BIGGER PIECE OF
CAKE?
MICROPHONE TESTING IN THE GUISE OF POEM
RECITATION WHERE IS THE POCKET?
DANCING DOWN THE WICKET
WINNER TAKES IT ALL
WHAT WAS THAT!
READY FOR THE RACE
DIALOGUE on 'RETREAT'!
FY2010-11
CENTRE FOR POLICY DIALOGUE (CPD) � A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK
CPD Quarterly 5 January - March 2012
CPD Board of Trustees meeting held
The 37th Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting of CPD was held on 14
February 2012 at the CPD Dialogue Room. The Board reviewed CPD's
research, dialogue and publication activities held during October 2011
to January 2012 and expressed satisfaction over the performance. The
Board endorsed CPD's research, dialogue and publication plans for
2012. These included a wide range of activities concerning a number
of key issues of importance to Bangladesh economy and interest to the
least developed countries (LDCs) covering areas such as food
security, governance, climate change and environment, energy,
regional trade, etc.
The meeting was presided over by Professor Rehman Sobhan,
Chairman of the CPD BoT. CPD Trustees Ms Khushi Kabir, Coordinator,
Nijera Kori; Mr M Syeduzzaman, Former Finance Minister, Government
of Bangladesh; Mr Nurul Haq, Former Member, Planning Commission;
Ms Laila Rahman Kabir, Managing Director, Kedarpur Tea Company
Limited; and Mr Syed Manzur Elahi, Chairman, Apex Group were
present in the meeting.
CPD led the Bangladesh Team to
10th BCIM Forum
The 10th Meeting of the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM)
Cooperation Forum was held during 18-19 February 2012 at the Oberoi
Grand Hotel in Kolkata, India. The event was organised by the Institute
of Chinese Studies, Delhi in collaboration with the Centre for Policy
Research, Delhi, in partnership with the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Institute for Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), Kolkata. The Forum, supported
by Ministry of External Affairs, India was inaugurated by the Hon'ble
Governor of West Bengal Mr M K Narayanan. Prior to the event, a
Route Survey was carried out for the proposed Kunming to Kolkata Car
Rally which was also an issue of discussion in the Forum. The meeting
discussed issues such as environment, climate and water; regional
economic cooperation; regional connectivity (transport, tourism and
infrastructure); exchanges in social, cultural and academic fields, and
institutional arrangement of BCIM. A nine-member Bangladesh Team
led by Professor Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, CPD joined the 10th
BCIM Forum which included high level government officials and civil
society representatives .
Debapriya Bhattacharya addressing the students at Dhaka University
Debapriya Bhattacharya exchanging views with the students of BRAC University
Youth Leadership Programme (YLP)
CPD organised special lecture series on
Bangladesh Economy for university students
CPD launched a special lecture series on Bangladesh Economy in 2011-
2012: The Current Macroeconomic Challenges for the students who are
exposed to economics in their academic discipline in different universities of
Bangladesh. CPD has initiated this programme under its Youth Leadership
Programme (YLP) to contribute towards the students' understanding about
practical consequences of theoretical constructs.
The first one of this lecture series was held in association with
Economics Study Center of Dhaka University on 21 January 2012 at its R
C Majumder Auditorium. Dr M M Akash, Professor of Economics,
University of Dhaka chaired the session. Students from the Department of
Economics, Institute of Business Administration, and Faculty of Business
Studies of Dhaka University participated in this interactive session. To
initiate the discussion Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow,
CPD made a brief presentation on the current macroeconomic scenario of
Bangladesh. Presentation was followed by an elaborate question-answer
session where faculties from related disciplines were also present.
The second lecture of the series was held on 13 February 2012 at the
BRAC University. BRAC Development Institute organised the event which
was participated by the undergraduate and graduate level students of the
Department of Economics and Social Sciences and Business School of the
University along with senior and junior faculties.
FY2010-11
CENTRE FOR POLICY DIALOGUE (CPD) � A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK
CPD Quarterly 8 January - March 2012
Published by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
House 40/C, Road 32, Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh; Mailing Address: GPO Box 2129, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Telephone: (+88 02) 8124770, 9141703, 9141734, 9145090; Fax: (+88 02) 8130951
E-mail: [email protected]; Website: www.cpd.org.bd; Blog: www.cpd.org.bd/Blog/
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
State of the Bangladesh Economy
in FY2010-11 and
Outlook for FY2011-12
FY2010-11
State of the Bangladesh Economy in FY2010-11 and Outlook for FY2011-12
As in earlier years, the IRBD FY2010-11 volume of CPD highlights major developments in the economy of Bangladesh,
and flags emerging challenges confronting macroeconomic management for the relevant fiscal years. The present volume
in its various chapters presents an assessment of Bangladesh's macroeconomic performance in FY2010-11, and identifies
the major achievements and the emerging pressure points at the end of fiscal year; an analysis of the national budget for
FY2011-12 and the revised budget of FY2010-11; a critical assessment of the Monetary Policy Statement of the
Bangladesh Bank for the second half of FY2010-11; and an analytical review of the overseas migration and inwards
remittance flow situation with focus on the first six months of FY2011-12. It also contains a Policy Brief prepared under a
joint study with BRAC Advocacy Unit to examine the efficacy of fiscal measures and public service delivery for the ultra
poor. Two annexes of the volume include dialogue reports on national budget reaction for FY2011-12, one held in Dhaka,
and the other in Chittagong in collaboration with Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA), Chittagong Chapter.
CPD Working Papers
Paper 95: Stabilising the Capital Market of Bangladesh: Addressing the Structural, Institutional and Operational Issues
Khondaker Golam Moazzem and Md. Tariqur Rahman
Paper 96: Liberalising Health Services under SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services (SATIS): Implications for Bangladesh
Fahmida Khatun and Mazbahul Golam Ahamad
Paper 97: Assessing the Impact of the Global Economic and Financial Crisis on Bangladesh: An Intervention Analysis
Debapriya Bhattacharya and Shouro Dasgupta
Paper 98: Analytical Review of Bangladesh's Macroeconomic Performance in FY2011-12 (Second Reading)
CPD Publications
Journal Article
Bhattacharya, D. and Borgatti, L. "An Atypical Approach to Graduation
from the LDC Category: The Case of Bangladesh." South Asia Economic
Journal, 13 (1): 1-25.
Newspaper and Magazine Articles
Sobhan, R. 2012. Bangladesh at 40: Looking Back and Moving Forward
(Four Part Series). The Daily Star. 31 December 2011-3 January 2012.
Rahman, M. 2012. R¡vjvwbi `vg mgš^‡qi weKí fve‡Z cv‡i miKvi. Dainik
Ittefaq. 2 January.
Rahman, M. 2012. cwieZ©bkxj wek¦ A_©bxwZi †cÖ¶vc‡U 2012 mv‡j evsjv‡`‡ki mvgwóK A_©‰bwZK e¨e¯’vcbvi P¨v‡jÄ. Dainik Ittefaq. 3 January.
Bhattacharya, D. 2012. 2012 mv‡j evsjv‡`‡ki mvgwóK A_©‰bwZK e¨e¯’vcbvi P¨v‡jÄ. Dainik Ittefaq. 3 January.
Bhattacharya, D. 2012. †`qvj wjLb co–b. Dainik Samakal. 5 January.
Bhattacharya, D. 2012. m¨vgmb GBP †PŠayix: cÖvPxb gvbweK g~j¨‡ev‡a mg„× AvaywbK gvbyl. Dainik Samakal. 12 January.
Rahman, M. 2012. G eQi ˆewk¦K cwiw¯’wZ AbyK‚j _vK‡e bv. Dainik Sangbad.
13 January.
Bhattacharya, D. 2012. m¨vgmb GBP †PŠayix: Abb¨ GKRb. Dainik Prothom Alo.
14 January.
Bhattacharya, D. 2012. †kl wePv‡i A_©‰bwZK e¨e¯’vcbvi `¶ZvB mvdj¨ wba©viY Ki‡e. Dainik Jugantor. 16 January.
Khatun, F. 2012. Diversity and inclusion at workplace: Recognising female
potentials (Two Part Series). The Daily Sun. 5 & 7 February.
Rahman, M. 2012. †jb‡`‡bi fvimv‡g¨ wKQzUv ¯̂w —̄. Dainik Samakal. 10 February.
Bhattacharya, D. 2012. BRAC: Embodying the spirit of Liberation War. The
Daily Star. 10 February.
Hasanuzzaman. 2012. Beware, Bangladesh Media. The Daily Sun. 21
February.
Khatun, F. 2012. Role of state in national policymaking. The Daily Star. 4
March.
Moazzem, K.G. 2012. †cvkvK wk‡í bvix kÖwg‡Ki A_©‰bwZK Dbœqb: wZb `k‡Ki AwfÁZv. Banik Barta (Anniversary Issue). 8 March.
Kahtun, F. 2012. bvixi A_©‰bwZK ¯^vejw¤^Zv: AMÖMwZ A‡bK, j¶¨ GL‡bv my`~‡i.
Banik Barta (Anniversary Issue). 8 March.
Hasanuzzaman. 2012. Regional cooperation and new realities. The New
Age. 21 March.
Moazzem, K.G. 2012. †kqvi evRvi: g~j mgm¨v KvVv‡gvMZ. Dainik Samakal. 24
March.
Newspaper Interviews
Bhattacharya, D. 2012. g~j¨ùxwZ‡Z wbgœ I mxwgZ Av‡qi gvbyl `vwi`ª¨mxgvi wb‡P P‡j hvIqvi Avk¼v. Naya Diganta. 3 January.
Bhattacharya, D. 2012. cÖ_g `yÕeQ‡ii Zzjbvq †kl eQi wQj bvRyK. Manabjamin.
5 January.
Khatun, F. 2012. ¯^vaxbZvi Pvi `kK: A_©bxwZ‡Z AR©b A‡bK, Ac~Y©ZvI Kg bq.
Kaler Kantha. 16 January.
Rahmatullah, M. 2012. UªvbwRU wb‡q †Kvi KwgwUi wi‡cvU© cÖKvk Kiv †nvK.
Prothom Alo. 5 February.
Rahman, M. 2012. The existing water protocol, suitably amended, could
serve as an interim arrangement. The Daily Star. 28 February.
Publications from outside of CPD