Bangladesh Policy Outlook – A Weekly Publication of the Oniket Research Group CIC
One of the biggest changes in girls’ education in Bangladesh came with the introduction of free secondary education and scholarships for girls. Making secondary education free in the early 1990s and introducing stipends for rural girls in 1994 brought more girls into classrooms. The support was later extended to the higher secondary level. Two decades…
This article analyses the recent move by National Board of Revenue field offices to collect a 10 percent tax on interest paid to microsavers. It explains how the move could affect employment, inflation and short-term growth in a slowing economy, and discusses fiscal alternatives that could soften the business cycle. It also highlights governance concerns,…
Read More “Taxing the Smallest Savers in a Weak Economy: A Business Cycle View” »
The Health Minister has said the government is considering an additional afternoon or evening shift at public hospitals, and will discuss it with the Prime Minister shortly. He spoke at a specialized ENT institute, where an extension will raise bed capacity from 135 to 250. The goal is fuller use of facilities and care for…
Read More “A Critical Review of the Proposed Evening Shift in Public Hospitals” »
A comparative follow up to “Bangladesh’s Path to Sustainable Agricultural Transformation,” Oniket Bulletin, June 6, 2026 The original article makes a compelling case that Bangladesh’s next agricultural chapter depends on shifting from yield maximization toward sustainability and inclusivity, naming gender gaps in asset ownership, fragmented landholdings, and youth migration away from farming as the human…
This article examines India’s recommendation of antidumping duties on Bangladeshi PET film, following recent duties on jute products. It assesses the impact on Bangladesh’s economy and on bilateral trade with India, and it outlines the policy reforms Bangladesh could initiate and the dialogues it can encourage India to join. A Pattern, Not an Isolated Case…
Read More “India’s Trade Remedy Wave: A Test for Bangladesh’s Export Strategy” »
Bangladesh has seen a surge of young people chasing income through Facebook and YouTube monetization, drawn by viral success stories and the appeal of dollar earnings from a smartphone. The government has encouraged this trend, framing content creation as a path to youth employment and digital entrepreneurship, backed by training programs and public support. Beneath…
This article examines Bangladesh Prime Minister’s recent solar initiative and explains why his vision matters for the garment industry, the country’s key export sector, and for industrialization more broadly. It compares Bangladesh’s position with UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 and suggests supplementary reforms to help the vision reach every factory. A Vision Led from the…
Read More “Solar as a National Vision: Powering Bangladesh’s Industrial Future” »
A response to Tanzina Fardoush, “Bangladesh’s Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017: Did we pay attention?,” Oniket Bulletin, July 23, 2026 Fardoush’s article performs a valuable service by centering Section 19 as the fault line in Bangladesh’s child marriage framework, yet the piece leaves several analytical and prescriptive gaps that a comprehensive reform agenda cannot afford…
Read More “Bangladesh’s Child Marriage Law: A Critical Review of an Incomplete Reckoning” »
A follow up to Rimsha Seethe, “Pornography, Policy, and the Bangladeshi Dilemma: Law, Mental Health, and the Limits of Prohibition,” Oniket Bulletin, September 3, 2026 Seethe’s article lays out a dilemma that is distinctly Bangladeshi in its framing but far from unique in the region. Bangladesh criminalizes pornography outright under the Pornography Control Act of…
Over the last two decades, a steady stream of Bangladeshi musicians, actors, artists and writers has settled in North America, Europe and Australia. Actor Tony Dias joined theatre in 1989, worked in hundreds of television productions and moved to the United States while still among the most recognized faces on screen. Singer Ronti Das emerged…
Read More “The Quiet Exodus: Why Bangladesh’s Artists Keep Leaving” »
