We live in a highly integrated world, and events on the other side of the universe can have ramifications at both the macro, meso, and micro levels. For example, think about how the Ukraine-Russia war has had a disruptive impact on our economy and across the globe, emanating from the sanction-led upheavals in the international commodities markets.
I often don’t do book reviews, apart from my annual listing of my best reads. But this one simply couldn’t wait, considering the impact it had on me. The author of ‘The Defiant Optimist’, Dureen, is one of the accomplished Bangladeshis creating waves in the international domain. Her checkered career in investment banking, microfinance, development finance, media, social entrepreneurship, and academia held her in good stead when she founded Impact Investment Exchange (IIX).
I avidly read reports covering Bangladesh, especially if they get published from recognized international sources. While sifting through HSBC’s latest report, “The Flying Dutchman,” on Bangladesh’s economy and the equity market, I came across a few interesting takeaways. The bank is bullish on the growth story of Bangladesh, identifying consumer demand, a young working-age population, favorable government policies, and urbanization as key growth drivers. Inflation,…
Increasingly, I’m encountering a lot of representatives from late Generation Y and early Generation Z in professional settings. Most of my young colleagues and acquaintances are idealistic, tech-savvy, and feedback oriented. However, many of them prioritize work-life balance over maximizing their learning opportunities by refraining from taking on additional responsibilities.
Low-income groups, across the rural and urban divides, have been disproportionately affected by the economic downturn. More economically vulnerable groups have slid back to extreme poverty, with repercussions on nutrition intake, health-seeking behavior, and school dropout rates