The Corona Virus pandemic has been a ‘black swan’ event, particularly due to the extent and breadth of its impact. Starting in Wuhan, China, almost three months back, the virus has rapidly spread across the world in 180 plus countries infecting 351,198 and causing 13,361 deaths (as of 23rd March). The contagion effect of Covid-19 epidemic might not only bring about a health crisis, but will…
Bangladesh’s economic performance, over the last decade, has garnered accolades from the international community, particularly from multilateral development agencies like the World Bank, which has portrayed Bangladesh as an exemplary case for economic development. From being termed a ‘basket case’, espoused by then US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger in early 1970s; we have come quite far. Forging ahead of Pakistan and growing neck-to-neck with…
Bangladesh’s RMG sector has been playing a pivotal in facilitating the country’s export earnings, contributing 83.4% of total export (source: EPB), apart for generating employment to the tune of 4.4 million, 80% of which are women. (Source: WB). Considering the sector’s importance to the country’s economic stability, ensuring steady growth for RMG export in the short to medium term, is a key policy imperative. In…
Our private sector has played an outsized role in driving the economy and has been contributing to export, employment generation and production of goods and services. In general, businesses tend to focus more on maximizing shareholders’ value by focusing on the middle and affluent market segment, who have higher disposable income. However, with declining absolute poverty rate across the country, a new aspirant class has…
Entrepreneurship is a risky endeavor. While many tend to romanticize the stratospheric success of famous entrepreneurs like Bezos and Zuckerberg, creating an enterprise from scratch and gaining traction is no easy feat. Empirical data also indicate difficulty in creating successful companies, as 9 out of 10 companies go belly-up within 5 years of existence. Considering the difficulty in starting and sustaining a venture, and low…