Leading Issues in Bangladesh Development

Contents: Preface. I. Overview: 1. Overview and introduction to the volume/Sadiq Ahmed. II. The macro-economy: 2. Contemporary macroeconomic issues and challenges/Ahsan Mansur. 3. Capital markets issues: lessons of experience and the way forward/Ifty Islam. III. Trade and regional integration: 4. Trade policy developments and the way forward/Zaidi Sattar. 5. The economics of transit for Bangladesh development/Sadiq Ahmed. IV. The real economy: 6. Growth and employment strategies for Bangladesh/Sadiq Ahmed. 7. Managing the urban transition in Bangladesh/Sarwar Jahan. V. Poverty and human development: 8. Poverty and inequality in Bangladesh/Selim Raihan and Bazlul Haque Khondker. 9. Human development progress and prospects/Sayema Haque Bidisha. Index. Bangladesh has shown a lot of promise and resilience by pushing ahead with the national development agenda, reflected in declining poverty and rising economic growth. However events over the past 12 months suggest that the country's macro economy was under strain. It is therefore imperative that the government should take quick actions to current the situation. While the restoration of macroeconomic balance is an immediate priority Bangladesh continue to remain a low income developing economy with a substantial long term development agenda. Notwithstanding the encouraging progress with poverty reduction, there are still some 47 million poor people in Bangladesh. The incidence of poverty is much larger in the rural area as compared with that of the urban areas. Poverty incidence also varies by divisions. The experience of Bangladesh also shows substantial income inequality that has grown over time. On the human development front Bangladesh has done well out performing most South Asian countries in improving a range of human development indicators. Yet this progress is from a low base. The next round agenda for human development that involves quality of education, moving to tertiary and technical education, developing skills, improving maternal health, improving the quality of health care, and stabilizing the growth of population in line with the country's carrying capacity remains to be addressed. (jacket).…