In Bangladesh, remittance plays an important role in terms of its contribution to the gross natio... more In Bangladesh, remittance plays an important role in terms of its contribution to the gross national income and foreign exchange earnings, as well as its significant positive impact in reducing poverty both in the rural and urban areas (Raihan et al. 2009, 2014; Raihan and Sugiyarto 2012; Raihan and Uddin 2011; Khondker and Raihan 2009). Bangladesh is a major exporter of labor, and remittance is the second highest foreign exchange earning sector in this country. Not only international remittance, domestic remittance too has its own contribution to national income. In 2014, personal remittances received (which includes both domestic and international remittance) as a percentage of GDP was 8.7% (World Bank 2016). Though remittance is an asset for the country and it can further be transmitted to the development of the socioeconomic infrastructures of the country, members from the remittance recipient households can have a disparate preference towards the labor market participation decision compared to the non-recipient households. Hence, remittance could be one of the major drivers behind the labor market dynamics in Bangladesh. Against this backdrop, this paper examines the influence of remittances (both international and internal) over the labor market participation behavior of the recipients in agricultural and nonagricultural sectors of Bangladesh. In this study, we have used the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2010 data for our analysis and relevant econometric exercises, as HIES 2010 is the latest available nationwide household-level data that has a separate section on household migration and remittance information.
Bangladesh will graduate from the LDC list by 2026. Currently Bangladesh's exports of readymade g... more Bangladesh will graduate from the LDC list by 2026. Currently Bangladesh's exports of readymade garments (RMG) benefit from international support measures which allows preferential trade in major export destinations, such as the EU. After graduation, Bangladesh's exports, in particular RMG, will face competition from mega trading blocs, such as RCEP and CPTPP. This paper employs a CGE GTAP model to estimate the impact of Bangladesh's graduation from the LDC category and how mega FTAs are likely to affect Bangladesh's exports (sectoral and total) and potential welfare. The model also considers the scenarios of either USA or the UK, or both joining the CPTPP. The model results show that Bangladesh's graduation will lead to a fall in GDP and RMG exports by 1.53% and 11.8%, respectively. The negative impact is magnified when we factor in the mega-trading blocs. Further negative impacts are observed when either USA or the UK, or both join the CPTPP.
Bangladesh will graduate from the LDC list by 2026. Currently Bangladesh's exports of readymade g... more Bangladesh will graduate from the LDC list by 2026. Currently Bangladesh's exports of readymade garments (RMG) benefit from international support measures which allows preferential trade in major export destinations, such as the EU. After graduation, Bangladesh's exports, in particular RMG, will face competition from mega trading blocs, such as RCEP and CPTPP. This paper employs a CGE GTAP model to estimate the impact of Bangladesh's graduation from the LDC category and how mega FTAs are likely to affect Bangladesh's exports (sectoral and total) and potential welfare. The model also considers the scenarios of either USA or the UK, or both joining the CPTPP. The model results show that Bangladesh's graduation will lead to a fall in GDP and RMG exports by 1.53% and 11.8%, respectively. The negative impact is magnified when we factor in the mega-trading blocs. Further negative impacts are observed when either USA or the UK, or both join the CPTPP.
This Chapter has also bene tted from various analyses and workshops undertaken by the Asia Founda... more This Chapter has also bene tted from various analyses and workshops undertaken by the Asia Foundation. 1 According to its o cial website, the objectives of LWG are to develop and maintain protocols that assess the environmental compliance and performance capabilities of leather manufacturers, and to promote sustainable and appropriate environmental business practices within the leather industry. The LWG is made up of member brands, retailers, product manufacturers, leather manufacturers, chemical suppliers, machinery suppliers, technical experts, and other service providers that work together to maintain environmental stewardship protocols speci cally for the leather manufacturing industry.
In Bangladesh, remittance plays an important role in terms of its contribution to the gross natio... more In Bangladesh, remittance plays an important role in terms of its contribution to the gross national income and foreign exchange earnings, as well as its significant positive impact in reducing poverty both in the rural and urban areas (Raihan et al. 2009, 2014; Raihan and Sugiyarto 2012; Raihan and Uddin 2011; Khondker and Raihan 2009). Bangladesh is a major exporter of labor, and remittance is the second highest foreign exchange earning sector in this country. Not only international remittance, domestic remittance too has its own contribution to national income. In 2014, personal remittances received (which includes both domestic and international remittance) as a percentage of GDP was 8.7% (World Bank 2016). Though remittance is an asset for the country and it can further be transmitted to the development of the socioeconomic infrastructures of the country, members from the remittance recipient households can have a disparate preference towards the labor market participation deci...
The September, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud concentrates on the theme of ‘poverty and inequality’... more The September, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud concentrates on the theme of ‘poverty and inequality’. The first article titled “Cross-country differences in income inequality: Where do South Asian countries stand?” explores the trends in movements of inequality for a large number of countries with a special focus on South Asia. Using a global standardized database on income inequality, the article finds that, during 1980 and 2015, among the 8 South Asian countries, inequality improved only in Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal, whereas inequality worsened in other 5 countries. The article shows that, while an increase in real GDP per capita does not guarantee for reduction in income inequality, investment in social infrastructure for raising health and educational statuses of the masses can be instrumental for reducing income inequality. The second article “Does employment status matter for the wellbeing of rural households in Bangladesh?”, using data from the Bangladesh Integrated Household S...
The September, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud concentrates on the theme of ‘poverty and inequality’... more The September, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud concentrates on the theme of ‘poverty and inequality’. The first article titled “Cross-country differences in income inequality: Where do South Asian countries stand?” explores the trends in movements of inequality for a large number of countries with a special focus on South Asia. Using a global standardized database on income inequality, the article finds that, during 1980 and 2015, among the 8 South Asian countries, inequality improved only in Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal, whereas inequality worsened in other 5 countries. The article shows that, while an increase in real GDP per capita does not guarantee for reduction in income inequality, investment in social infrastructure for raising health and educational statuses of the masses can be instrumental for reducing income inequality. The second article “Does employment status matter for the wellbeing of rural households in Bangladesh?”, using data from the Bangladesh Integrated Household S...
The December, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud focuses on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Special... more The December, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud focuses on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The first article “The political economy of special economic zones (SEZs) in Bangladesh” sheds light on the fact that while it might be very difficult to dramatically improve the infrastructure and business environment of the overall economy ‘overnight’, SEZs can be built in a much shorter time and they can work as efficient enclaves to solve these problems. However, a number of issues need to be addressed to make SEZs in Bangladesh successful, which are related to faster implementation of SEZs, efficiency of port infrastructure and connectivity, improvement in business environment of the overall economy, prioritizing economic and export diversification, and improving the quality of institutions managing SEZs. The second article titled “What factors matter in attracting FDI?” investigates the factors affecting FDI inflow in a cross-country and over time framework....
In the arena of economic literature, it is now well established that economic growth is a necessa... more In the arena of economic literature, it is now well established that economic growth is a necessary but insufficient condition for development (Sen 1999). In addition, increasingly, there is a consensus among academicians that employment creation as such does not guarantee social, economic, and political inclusion or basic human rights as chartered by the UN system. Within this context, the focus of the policy exercise has shifted from mere economic growth approach toward a broader approach of inclusive growth. The International Labor Office’s “Decent Work” agenda replicates the importance of such a context. Although the decent work agenda has been initiated since 1999, the ongoing current literatures are highly concentrated either on policy implications or depict the decent work agenda from a macro point of view. Majority of the studies conducted on decent job primarily focused on the demand-side issues. However, there is a need to explore the supply-side issues as the composition of labor supply itself can be a determining factor for the status of the decent job. This article follows the definitions of “good-enough” job, “good” job, and “decent” job from Raihan (2014) where it is argued that there could be three stages for moving toward “decent” job. The first stage is the “good-enough” job which shows the transition from no job to job or from unpaid family job to paid job. The second stage is the ‘good’ job which shows the transition from ‘good-enough’ job to job with better return, formal job security, and enhanced workers’ rights. The third stage is the “decent” job, which is the transition from “good” job to a state of productive employment in compliance with agreed international standards of working environment and workers’ rights.
This paper analyses the impact of international remittances on household spending behaviour in th... more This paper analyses the impact of international remittances on household spending behaviour in the Bangladesh context. The total household spending has been classified into seven categories, namely...
This article identifies the nature of gendered digital divides between male and female youth (age... more This article identifies the nature of gendered digital divides between male and female youth (aged 15–29) in the context of Bangladesh. As a measuring indicator for technology inclusiveness, this study examines whether a young male or female owns a mobile phone, the most basic means of accessing the Internet. As observed in the descriptive analysis, on average, 46% of young females have a mobile phone, compared to 79% young males. However, such disparity varies across age cohorts and the divides of rural–urban, poor–non-poor, richer–poorer income deciles, etc. To understand whether there is any significant discrimination against women in terms of technology inclusiveness, this study applies the Blinder–Oaxaca (B–O) decomposition technique. The decomposition analysis shows statistically significant discrimination against women in terms of mobile ownership at both the household and the individual level. The factors such as remittances, average years of schooling of the household membe...
In Bangladesh, remittance plays an important role in terms of its contribution to the gross natio... more In Bangladesh, remittance plays an important role in terms of its contribution to the gross national income and foreign exchange earnings, as well as its significant positive impact in reducing poverty both in the rural and urban areas (Raihan et al. 2009, 2014; Raihan and Sugiyarto 2012; Raihan and Uddin 2011; Khondker and Raihan 2009). Bangladesh is a major exporter of labor, and remittance is the second highest foreign exchange earning sector in this country. Not only international remittance, domestic remittance too has its own contribution to national income. In 2014, personal remittances received (which includes both domestic and international remittance) as a percentage of GDP was 8.7% (World Bank 2016). Though remittance is an asset for the country and it can further be transmitted to the development of the socioeconomic infrastructures of the country, members from the remittance recipient households can have a disparate preference towards the labor market participation decision compared to the non-recipient households. Hence, remittance could be one of the major drivers behind the labor market dynamics in Bangladesh. Against this backdrop, this paper examines the influence of remittances (both international and internal) over the labor market participation behavior of the recipients in agricultural and nonagricultural sectors of Bangladesh. In this study, we have used the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2010 data for our analysis and relevant econometric exercises, as HIES 2010 is the latest available nationwide household-level data that has a separate section on household migration and remittance information.
Bangladesh will graduate from the LDC list by 2026. Currently Bangladesh's exports of readymade g... more Bangladesh will graduate from the LDC list by 2026. Currently Bangladesh's exports of readymade garments (RMG) benefit from international support measures which allows preferential trade in major export destinations, such as the EU. After graduation, Bangladesh's exports, in particular RMG, will face competition from mega trading blocs, such as RCEP and CPTPP. This paper employs a CGE GTAP model to estimate the impact of Bangladesh's graduation from the LDC category and how mega FTAs are likely to affect Bangladesh's exports (sectoral and total) and potential welfare. The model also considers the scenarios of either USA or the UK, or both joining the CPTPP. The model results show that Bangladesh's graduation will lead to a fall in GDP and RMG exports by 1.53% and 11.8%, respectively. The negative impact is magnified when we factor in the mega-trading blocs. Further negative impacts are observed when either USA or the UK, or both join the CPTPP.
Bangladesh will graduate from the LDC list by 2026. Currently Bangladesh's exports of readymade g... more Bangladesh will graduate from the LDC list by 2026. Currently Bangladesh's exports of readymade garments (RMG) benefit from international support measures which allows preferential trade in major export destinations, such as the EU. After graduation, Bangladesh's exports, in particular RMG, will face competition from mega trading blocs, such as RCEP and CPTPP. This paper employs a CGE GTAP model to estimate the impact of Bangladesh's graduation from the LDC category and how mega FTAs are likely to affect Bangladesh's exports (sectoral and total) and potential welfare. The model also considers the scenarios of either USA or the UK, or both joining the CPTPP. The model results show that Bangladesh's graduation will lead to a fall in GDP and RMG exports by 1.53% and 11.8%, respectively. The negative impact is magnified when we factor in the mega-trading blocs. Further negative impacts are observed when either USA or the UK, or both join the CPTPP.
This Chapter has also bene tted from various analyses and workshops undertaken by the Asia Founda... more This Chapter has also bene tted from various analyses and workshops undertaken by the Asia Foundation. 1 According to its o cial website, the objectives of LWG are to develop and maintain protocols that assess the environmental compliance and performance capabilities of leather manufacturers, and to promote sustainable and appropriate environmental business practices within the leather industry. The LWG is made up of member brands, retailers, product manufacturers, leather manufacturers, chemical suppliers, machinery suppliers, technical experts, and other service providers that work together to maintain environmental stewardship protocols speci cally for the leather manufacturing industry.
In Bangladesh, remittance plays an important role in terms of its contribution to the gross natio... more In Bangladesh, remittance plays an important role in terms of its contribution to the gross national income and foreign exchange earnings, as well as its significant positive impact in reducing poverty both in the rural and urban areas (Raihan et al. 2009, 2014; Raihan and Sugiyarto 2012; Raihan and Uddin 2011; Khondker and Raihan 2009). Bangladesh is a major exporter of labor, and remittance is the second highest foreign exchange earning sector in this country. Not only international remittance, domestic remittance too has its own contribution to national income. In 2014, personal remittances received (which includes both domestic and international remittance) as a percentage of GDP was 8.7% (World Bank 2016). Though remittance is an asset for the country and it can further be transmitted to the development of the socioeconomic infrastructures of the country, members from the remittance recipient households can have a disparate preference towards the labor market participation deci...
The September, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud concentrates on the theme of ‘poverty and inequality’... more The September, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud concentrates on the theme of ‘poverty and inequality’. The first article titled “Cross-country differences in income inequality: Where do South Asian countries stand?” explores the trends in movements of inequality for a large number of countries with a special focus on South Asia. Using a global standardized database on income inequality, the article finds that, during 1980 and 2015, among the 8 South Asian countries, inequality improved only in Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal, whereas inequality worsened in other 5 countries. The article shows that, while an increase in real GDP per capita does not guarantee for reduction in income inequality, investment in social infrastructure for raising health and educational statuses of the masses can be instrumental for reducing income inequality. The second article “Does employment status matter for the wellbeing of rural households in Bangladesh?”, using data from the Bangladesh Integrated Household S...
The September, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud concentrates on the theme of ‘poverty and inequality’... more The September, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud concentrates on the theme of ‘poverty and inequality’. The first article titled “Cross-country differences in income inequality: Where do South Asian countries stand?” explores the trends in movements of inequality for a large number of countries with a special focus on South Asia. Using a global standardized database on income inequality, the article finds that, during 1980 and 2015, among the 8 South Asian countries, inequality improved only in Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal, whereas inequality worsened in other 5 countries. The article shows that, while an increase in real GDP per capita does not guarantee for reduction in income inequality, investment in social infrastructure for raising health and educational statuses of the masses can be instrumental for reducing income inequality. The second article “Does employment status matter for the wellbeing of rural households in Bangladesh?”, using data from the Bangladesh Integrated Household S...
The December, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud focuses on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Special... more The December, 2016 issue of Thinking Aloud focuses on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The first article “The political economy of special economic zones (SEZs) in Bangladesh” sheds light on the fact that while it might be very difficult to dramatically improve the infrastructure and business environment of the overall economy ‘overnight’, SEZs can be built in a much shorter time and they can work as efficient enclaves to solve these problems. However, a number of issues need to be addressed to make SEZs in Bangladesh successful, which are related to faster implementation of SEZs, efficiency of port infrastructure and connectivity, improvement in business environment of the overall economy, prioritizing economic and export diversification, and improving the quality of institutions managing SEZs. The second article titled “What factors matter in attracting FDI?” investigates the factors affecting FDI inflow in a cross-country and over time framework....
In the arena of economic literature, it is now well established that economic growth is a necessa... more In the arena of economic literature, it is now well established that economic growth is a necessary but insufficient condition for development (Sen 1999). In addition, increasingly, there is a consensus among academicians that employment creation as such does not guarantee social, economic, and political inclusion or basic human rights as chartered by the UN system. Within this context, the focus of the policy exercise has shifted from mere economic growth approach toward a broader approach of inclusive growth. The International Labor Office’s “Decent Work” agenda replicates the importance of such a context. Although the decent work agenda has been initiated since 1999, the ongoing current literatures are highly concentrated either on policy implications or depict the decent work agenda from a macro point of view. Majority of the studies conducted on decent job primarily focused on the demand-side issues. However, there is a need to explore the supply-side issues as the composition of labor supply itself can be a determining factor for the status of the decent job. This article follows the definitions of “good-enough” job, “good” job, and “decent” job from Raihan (2014) where it is argued that there could be three stages for moving toward “decent” job. The first stage is the “good-enough” job which shows the transition from no job to job or from unpaid family job to paid job. The second stage is the ‘good’ job which shows the transition from ‘good-enough’ job to job with better return, formal job security, and enhanced workers’ rights. The third stage is the “decent” job, which is the transition from “good” job to a state of productive employment in compliance with agreed international standards of working environment and workers’ rights.
This paper analyses the impact of international remittances on household spending behaviour in th... more This paper analyses the impact of international remittances on household spending behaviour in the Bangladesh context. The total household spending has been classified into seven categories, namely...
This article identifies the nature of gendered digital divides between male and female youth (age... more This article identifies the nature of gendered digital divides between male and female youth (aged 15–29) in the context of Bangladesh. As a measuring indicator for technology inclusiveness, this study examines whether a young male or female owns a mobile phone, the most basic means of accessing the Internet. As observed in the descriptive analysis, on average, 46% of young females have a mobile phone, compared to 79% young males. However, such disparity varies across age cohorts and the divides of rural–urban, poor–non-poor, richer–poorer income deciles, etc. To understand whether there is any significant discrimination against women in terms of technology inclusiveness, this study applies the Blinder–Oaxaca (B–O) decomposition technique. The decomposition analysis shows statistically significant discrimination against women in terms of mobile ownership at both the household and the individual level. The factors such as remittances, average years of schooling of the household membe...
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