Thinking Aloud: Volume VIII, Issue 8: January 1, 2022

The January 2022 issue of Thinking Aloud focuses on “50 years of Bangladesh: The development challenges in the time ahead”. The first page article titled “50 years of Bangladesh: The development challenges in the time ahead” focuses on the political economy analysis of the development journey of Bangladesh over the last five decades. The article presents a comprehensive approach to analyzing the overall progress in economic and social sectors and outlines four lessons from the historical developments of the country: (i) The supremacy of ‘pockets’ of functional informal institutions over weak formal institutions, (ii) The supremacy of the ‘deals environment’ over coordinated industrial policy, (iii) The challenges of effective regulation and (iv) The challenges of state capacity. The second and third pages of this issue are dedicated to the SANEM webinar titled “50 years of Bangladesh: Achievements, challenges and lessons”, held on 13 December 2021. The webinar hosted a panel discussion where leading economists and experts of the country discussed the nation’s progress towards achieving the broader development goals along with the upcoming challenges. Reflecting the youth’s hopes and aspirations, a discussion by four undergraduate students was also featured in the webinar. The panelists shared their insights regarding the historical journey of Bangladesh and the factors which have influenced the country’s journey so far. Over the past five decades, Bangladesh has made significant progress in various socio-economic areas. The national economy has performed considerably well during this time period. Contextualizing the 50 years of Bangladesh along these lines of discussion, the panelists explored aspects of the transformation of the rural economy and agriculture, labour market dynamics, gender aspects of labour force, and associated barriers. Furthermore, the challenges such as poverty, inequality, and impact of COVID-19 were explored by the panelists from a multitude of perspectives. Another major area of discussion covered was climate change and the strategic approach required for ensuring adequate reparations for climate change-induced damage. Noting the successes of Bangladesh over the last five decades, the panel concluded by expressing hope that the youth will bring on the necessary changes and build a brighter future. The fourth page showcases the snapshots from the webinar. The editorial board would like to wish the readers and well-wishers of Thinking Aloud a very happy new year!