Publications (BRAC Institute of Governance and Development)
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Item A re-examination of the relationship between plot size and productivity: the case of Bangladesh(The Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2025-01) Das, Narayan; Nisat, Rafia; Rahman, AtiyaRecent evidence shows that the inverse relationship between plot size and productivity is driven by an edge effect or by the over-reporting of production by farmers on smaller plots. This paper re-examines the relationship between plot size and productivity in the context of Bangladesh. The research further examines whether the effect of plot size is different across rice and non-rice crops.Item Exploring the digital financial service in Bangladesh: unraveling the dynamics of trust, fear, and privacy(American Anthropological Association, 2025) Hossain, Faruq; Islam, M. Rezaul; Zaman, ShahaduzUnderstanding the local dynamics of trust, fear, and privacy is crucial to comprehending the onboarding process in digital financial services, considering the collective nature of Bangladeshi culture, where privacy for sharing private information is a major concern. This paper aims to understand the dynamics of trust, fear, and privacy in the onboarding process for digital financial services (DFS) that have been playing a crucial role in bringing unbanked and underbanked populations into the formal financial ecosystem.Item Disability-inclusive graduation programme intervention on social participation among ultra-poor people with disability in North Uganda: a cluster randomized trial(BMC Medicine, 2025-07) Chen, Shanquan; Banks, Lena Morgon; Carew, Mark T.; Kipchumba, Elijah; Davey, Calum; Sulaiman, Munshi; Kuper, HannahPeople with disabilities encounter significant barriers to social participation due to inaccessible environments and negative attitudes. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of a comprehensive disability-inclusive graduation (DIG) programme in enhancing social participation among ultra-poor people with disabilities in rural Uganda.Item A new approach to children’s work that prioritises resilience, well-being and agency: emerging findings from a ‘Cash Plus’ intervention in Bangladesh(BMJ Paediatrics Open, 2025-01) Howard, Neil; Roelen, Keetie; Ton, Giel; Hermoza, Mauricio Espinoza; Mamun, Saklain Al; Chowdhury, Kabita; Aktar, Taslima; Huq, LopitaCriticism of mainstream approaches to child labour is widespread and well-established. The Child Labour Action Research in South and Southeast Asia (CLARISSA) Cash Plus pilot sought to address these critiques through an innovative programme that prioritised the development of household resilience and well-being, and through increasing household capacity to make alternative choices around children’s work.Item Awareness of the government-introduced universal pension schemes among the adult population in Bangladesh: a nationwide cross-sectional survey(Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 2025-05) Rima, Sharmin; Faysal, Md. Mahir; Mamun, Abdullah Al; Sonia, Khadija Akter; Monia, Hossna Tasmia; Nuva, Anika Tahseen; Rabbi, Ahbab Mohammad Fazle; Mamun, Abdullah-Al; Hossain, Mohammad BellalThe Universal Pension Scheme (UPS) was launched in Bangladesh in August 2023 to enhance economic security for the aging population. Despite extensive government promotion, the participation rate remains low, underscoring the critical role of public awareness. Following the worldwide pattern, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) introduced its first contribution-based Universal Pension Scheme (UPS) on 17 August 2023, aiming to address the economic security concerns of the country’s rising older population. The study aimed to investigate awareness of the UPS and its correlates among the Bangladeshi population.Item Skills training, corruption and organisational capabilities: an analysis of Bangladesh’s garment industry(Journal of Development Studies, 2025-07) Khan, Mushtaq; Kabir, Sumaiya; Van Huellen, SophieSkills training programmes are critical for job creation and structural transformation in developing countries. However, they often achieve poor results because of corruption. What is worse, outcome-based reward schemes create incentives for providers to fraudulently overstate trainee placements, hiding the source of the problem. The research informing this journal article tests the hypothesis that providers supplying lower-capability firms and very high-capability firms are compelled to engage in higher levels of fraud. Based on these insights gained from the qualitative study, the paper suggests that the interrelationship between firm capabilities and the productivity gains achieved through skills training is at the heart of the problem that drives both the low success rates of skills programmes as well as fraud and corruption by skills providers.Item The effects of job training on labour market outcomes: evidence from Bangladesh(Journal of Development Studies, 2025-06) Adiba, Afsana; Ahmed, Shakil; Das, Narayan; Islam, Md. Karimul; Mozumder, Tanvir Ahmed; Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat HossainYouth unemployment has been a decisive policy concern for both developing and developed economies, and many labour market interventions (for example, job training) have been put in place to bring unemployed youth into productive activities. This study, supported by BRAC Skills Development Programme, conducts a randomised controlled trial of a job training programme that provides on-the-job and classroom training to disadvantaged youth living in urban areas of Bangladesh.Item The cost of discipline? exploring the impact of corporal punishment on children’s foundational learning skills in Bangladesh(International Journal of Educational Development, 2025-09) Islam, Md Johirul; Hossain, Marjan; Haque, Sheikh TouhidulIn Bangladesh and other South Asian contexts, corporal punishment remains both widespread and socially accepted, often viewed by parents and teachers as a legitimate and effective means of disciplining children. Existing data indicate a high incidence of such practices, with 89% of mothers or primary caretakers reporting that they have subjected their children to some form of physical or psychological aggression at home. These practices are especially troubling in the context of Bangladesh’s acute learning crisis, where nearly half of all ten-year-old children fail to attain minimum proficiency by the end of primary school. This paper investigates the impact of corporal punishment at home on children’s foundational learning skills in Bangladesh. Using data from the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), the study employs a two-stage least squares (2SLS) instrumental variable approach to isolate the causal effects of corporal punishment, leveraging the implementation period of Bangladesh’s 2011 Child Law act as an instrument.Item The impact of microcredit on household welfare: evidence from Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic(Journal of Development Studies, 2025-06) Arman, Mohammad Raied; Das, Narayan; Mahmood, Sakib; Rahman, Semab; Rahman, Khandker WahedurThe onslaught of COVID-19 and the subsequent economic fallout have exacerbated global inequality, with the poor bearing a disproportionate brunt of the pandemic. This paper investigates whether access to credit—in the form of microloans—helped cushion the shock induced by COVID-19 and improved the welfare of poor households. Using survey data on microloan borrowers in Bangladesh, the analysis examines how access to microfinance affected clients during the COVID-19 crisis. A difference-in-differences (DID) methodology is employed to compare borrowers who received loans after the outbreak of the pandemic with those who did not. The results suggest that receiving microloans leads to increased business earnings, improved food security, and higher food expenditure. These effects are mainly driven by recipients of business-focused loans, while the impact of loans targeting poverty reduction appears limited.Item Navigating the psychosocial challenges and coping mechanisms of parents raising children with Autism spectrum disorder in Bangladesh(Sage Journals, 2025-02) Karim, Md. Zawadul; Al-Mamun, Md.; Kalam, Abul; Eva, Maliha Azad; Ali, Md. HazratThis narrative review explores the psychosocial challenges faced by parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Bangladesh and the coping strategies they use to manage these challenges. Findings reveal that Bangladeshi parents experience significant social stigmatization, exclusion, religious misconceptions, and negligence in healthcare settings. Many parents report being marginalised within their families and communities, leading to high levels of psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Mothers, in particular, are more vulnerable to these challenges, reporting severe levels of stress and depression due to societal pressures. Parents also struggle with a lack of adequate support services and professional guidance, especially in rural areas. Despite these difficulties, parents employ various coping strategies, such as building peer support networks, improving their knowledge of ASD, practicing religious spirituality, and using problem-focused approaches. The study underscores the need for improved mental health services, public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma, and policy initiatives to provide better support to parents of children with ASD. These measures are essential to alleviate the psychological and social burdens faced by families, particularly parents, in Bangladesh.