Thinking Aloud: Volume X, Issue 6: November 1, 2023

The theme of the November 2023 issue of Thinking Aloud is “Food Insecurity in Bangladesh”. The first page article, “Addressing food insecurity in Bangladesh: The case of ensuring entitlement to food”, explores the situation with regard to food security in Bangladesh. The article analyses the impact of rising inflation on food insecurity and discusses “entitlement failure” of the poor people. The article recommends ensuring adequate food supply in the market, expanding government’s social protection programmes, improving market monitoring mechanism, implementing pro-poor policies and programs, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and raising nutrition awareness. The second page article, titled, “Recent Macro Crisis and the Monetary Policy”, discusses the current challenges Bangladesh is facing in maintaining the foreign exchange reserves. The article argues for moving towards a more flexible interest rate. Appreciating the government’s move towards restricting the import of luxury items, the article points out that such a policy can only be applicable in the short term and might not be a sustainable one to revert the fall in reserve in the longer term. The article recommends that the Central Bank along with the Finance Division need to take strict policy measures to resolve certain fundamental problems of the banking sector like that of non-performing loans. The third page article, “Are we recognizing the influence of the Rohingya refugee crisis on the mental health of the affected populations?”, discusses the mental health issues of the Rohingya refugee people. The article argues that the mental health issues of the Rohingya community may lead to reduced productivity, increased burdens on healthcare systems, elevated suicide rates, adverse physical health consequences, involvement in criminal activities, and substance abuse, among other detrimental outcomes. The fourth article, titled, “Addressing the Vulnerability and Fragility of Young People in Bangladesh”, discusses the vulnerability among young people arising from a combination of factors, including limited access to education, healthcare, employment, social support, and protection from harm, as well as exposure to adverse environmental and economic conditions. To address the vulnerability of the youth, the article recommends prioritizing building skills, creating employment opportunities, and ensuring access to quality education and health services. The fourth page of the issue covers the events in November 2023.