Thinking Aloud: Volume XI, Issue 2: July 1, 2024

We are happy to present the July 2024 issue of Thinking Aloud. The first page article, “The New World Order, Global Challenges and BIMSTEC” analyses the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in the context of global challenges and the emerging “New World Order”. BIMSTEC, comprising seven countries around the Bay of Bengal (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand), holds significant promise in addressing contemporary challenges through meaningful regional cooperation. The article argues that the changing global order and emerging global challenges require BIMSTEC to take a fresh approach to regional cooperation amid these new dimensions. By promoting cooperation, building resilience, and advancing sustainable development in the Bay of Bengal region, BIMSTEC can contribute to global progress. Its effectiveness, however, hinges on collective commitment, practical initiatives, and adaptability to the ever-evolving challenges of our world. The second, third, and fourth pages of this issue present three more articles. The second article titled “Some insights from the Labour Force Survey 2022” points out the key insights and underlying intuitions regarding the LFS 2022. Furthermore, the article argues that, in the context of labor market statistics, it is extremely crucial to have timely availability of data on the labor market, preferably on an annual basis. The third article titled, “Reflections on Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022” highlights that the rise in income inequality in Bangladesh indicates that fruits of economic progress have not been evenly distributed. There is a need for effective policymaking emphasizing equitable growth so that the gains from economic development are broadly shared. The fourth article titled, “Some takeaways from the Food Security Assessment and FIES Survey 2023” examines the food security scenario in Bangladesh. This assessment unveils some pressing multidimensional issues related to dynamics of food security, poverty, inequality, regional disparity, sectoral income-generating capacities, public health, and overall standard of living. The fourth page showcases the events of June 2024.