Research

Every publication, in publication order: flagship state-of reports and dated policy briefs, each grounded in primary data.

14 FLAGSHIPS · 72 BRIEFS
Flagship

The State of Bangladesh Banking: Crisis, Reform, and Resilience

NPL ratio above 30% after Basel III reclassification, SOB distress, lending rate dynamics, FX reserve adequacy, recapitalization costs, and reform scenarios.

2026-07-05 · TRADE & FINANCE
Flagship

Women's Empowerment in Bangladesh: Progress, Paradoxes, and the Path Forward

Gender parity in enrollment but 44% female LFP. RMG empowerment paradox, maternal health gains, GBV burden, land rights, and policy gaps.

2026-07-05
Flagship

Bangladesh Public Finance: Revenue, Debt, and Reform

Tax-to-GDP at 8.3% (IMF Art. IV 2025), expenditure composition, deficit financing, debt sustainability, and revenue mobilization options.

2026-07-05 · ECONOMY & MACRO
Flagship

Climate Vulnerability and Adaptation in Bangladesh: Risk, Resilience, and the Financing Gap

7th most vulnerable on ND-GAIN. Sea level rise exposure, cyclone mortality decline, emissions per capita, energy transition, and $3.8B adaptation financing gap.

2026-07-04 · ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Flagship

The State of Bangladesh Energy: Power, Gas, Renewables, and the Transition Path

28 GW installed capacity, 97% grid access, 62% gas dependence, renewable targets, and stranded asset risks from coal pipeline.

2026-07-04
Flagship

The State of Bangladesh Education: Access, Quality, and the Skills Imperative

98% primary enrollment but low learning outcomes. Gender parity achieved, tertiary bottleneck, TVET gaps, and education-to-employment pipeline.

2026-07-04
Flagship

The State of Bangladesh Digital Economy: Infrastructure, Governance, and the Smart Bangladesh Vision

130M+ internet users, mobile money revolution, e-governance rank #111, digital startup ecosystem, and 4IR workforce readiness.

2026-07-04
Flagship

Bangladesh Health System: Remarkable Gains, Persistent Gaps, and the Path to Universal Coverage

Bangladesh spends 2.2% of GDP on health with 79.3% out-of-pocket (WB WDI 2023). Disease burden, workforce gaps, UHC progress, and financing options.

2026-06-15
Flagship

Bangladesh Migration & Diaspora: Deployment, Corridors, and Managed Migration

13M overseas workers sending $23B/year. Gulf concentration, recruitment cost exploitation, feminization trends, return reintegration, and diaspora engagement policy.

2026-06-12
Flagship

Bangladesh's Blue Frontier: Maritime Economy, Resources, and Strategy

118,813 km2 EEZ, $6.2B marine economy potential. Fisheries, shipping, offshore energy, coastal tourism, and governance gaps.

2026-06-12
Flagship

The State of Bangladesh RMG: Competitiveness, Compliance, and the Value Chain Imperative

$47B industry at a crossroads: wage pressure, automation risk, sustainability mandates, backward linkages, and post-LDC tariff exposure.

2026-06-12
Flagship

The State of Bangladesh Remittances: Corridors, Dependence, and Reform

$23B+ annual inflows across 160 corridors. Saudi Arabia dominant, Gulf cost burden, hundi diversion, and financial inclusion linkages.

2026-06-12 · TRADE & FINANCE
Flagship

The State of Bangladesh Trade: Structure, Risk, and Strategy

Export concentration in RMG, import structure, trade balance dynamics, LDC graduation impact, and diversification pathways.

2026-06-12 · TRADE & FINANCE
Flagship

The State of Bangladesh Governance: Institutions, Reform, and Accountability

WGI composite at bottom quartile, 4.7M case backlog, 1.4M civil servants. Institutional capacity, decentralization, judiciary, and reform scenarios.

2026-06-12
Bgd Automation Exposure Brief
বাংলাদেশে অটোমেশনের সম্ভাবনা: পাঁচ দেশের সঙ্গে কাজভিত্তিক তুলনা

গ্লোবাল অটোমেশন এটলাস (Garg, Crosta ও Baier, ২০২৬) ১২৪ দেশের কাজভিত্তিক অটোমেশন এক্সপোজার; বাংলাদেশ ও পাঁচ তুলনীয় দেশ

Policy Research
Evidence Into Policy: Fixing the Demand Side of Bangladesh's Research System

Bangladesh does not lack research institutions, it lacks the channels that force evidence into decisions. The constraint is not the count of think tanks but a broken commissioning model, near-zero independent parliamentary research capacity, and a statistical base too slow to inform live policy.

Data Insight
Bangladesh's exports of goods and services fell to 10.46% of GDP in 2024, a 20.5% decline from the previous year.

This indicator captures the share of exports in GDP rather than export volumes or competitiveness in specific product categories, so it can shift due to GDP growth, exchange rate movements, and commodity price changes without necessarily reflecting underlying trade performance.

Data Insight
Bangladesh's GDP growth fell to 4.22% in 2024, a drop of 1.56 percentage points from the previous year.

Annual GDP growth figures are subject to subsequent revision as national accounts data and methodology are refined, meaning the 2024 estimate may change in future releases.

Data Insight
Bangladesh's current account deficit narrowed to 0.67% of GDP in 2024, improving by nearly one percentage point from the previous year.

The current account balance as a share of GDP can be influenced by revisions to either the balance numerator or the GDP denominator, and preliminary figures for 2024 may be subject to subsequent updating.

Data Insight
Access to electricity in Bangladesh reached 99.5% of the population in 2023, a record high.

This indicator measures the share of population with access to electricity but does not capture hours of available supply, voltage quality, or the frequency of outages, all of which materially affect the welfare impact of a connection.

Data Insight
Life expectancy at birth in Bangladesh reached a record 74.93 years in 2024.

Life expectancy at birth is a modeled estimate derived from age-specific mortality data and is sensitive to underreporting of deaths, particularly in areas with incomplete civil registration systems.

Data Insight
Child stunting in Bangladesh fell to 23.6% in 2022, a record low, dropping nearly 16% from 2019.

Stunting estimates rely on household survey data collected at intervals, so year-to-year movements partly reflect methodological differences across survey rounds rather than smooth underlying change.

Data Insight
Bangladesh received a record 27.52 billion US dollars in personal remittances in 2024, up 24.7 percent from the prior year.

This indicator captures aggregate personal remittances received but cannot distinguish between formally channelled transfers and informal flows, so the true economic magnitude may differ from the recorded figure.

Bd Ai Jobs Brief
বাংলাদেশের কর্মীশক্তিতে এআই-ঝুঁকি

কারা প্রভাবিত, কোথায় বিনিয়োগ, কোথায় ঘর্ষণ, ২০১৩-২০২২

Climate Brief Energy & Environment
The State of Bangladesh Climate

ND-GAIN vulnerability rank, disaster damage trends, cyclone shelter coverage, and adaptation spending.

Financial Inclusion Trade & Finance
The State of Bangladesh Financial Inclusion

Bank account penetration, bKash/Nagad transaction volumes, microfinance outreach, and gender gaps in access.

Cross Human Development Brief
Human Development Nexus: Bangladesh

HDI decomposition: health, education, income contributions. District-level variation and multidimensional poverty overlap.

Social Protection Brief
Bangladesh Social Protection Analysis

2.5% of GDP on safety nets, 28M beneficiaries, targeting leakage, old age allowance coverage, and G2P digitization.

Price Watch Economy & Macro
Bangladesh Price & Inflation Watch

CPI basket breakdown, food vs non-food inflation, and real wage purchasing power.

Budget Pulse
Budget Pulse - July 2026

Monthly snapshot: NBR revenue, ADP spending, bank borrowing, inflation, and exchange rate against budget assumptions.

Rmg Textile Brief
Bangladesh RMG & Textile Sector Analysis

RMG export structure, compliance post-Rana Plaza, wage trends, backward linkage progress, and buyer diversification.

Solar Research Energy & Environment
The State of Bangladesh Solar Energy

1,200 MW (1.2 GW) installed solar (IRENA 2024), SHS penetration, SREDA targets, and grid parity analysis.

Aquaculture Brief
Aquaculture in Bangladesh: Sustaining the Blue Revolution

Total fish production 4.92M MT, aquaculture 2.85M MT (57.9% share). Shrimp exports $300M.

Coastal Vulnerability Brief Spatial & Environment
Coastal Vulnerability: Sea Level Rise, the Sundarbans, and Millions at Risk

Satellite elevation analysis shows 50,317 km2 (34.1% of land) within the 5m low elevation coastal zone, with 5,260,002 people directly exposed to sea level rise.

Development Brief Society & Governance
The State of Bangladesh Development

HDI components, poverty headcount, inequality (Gini), and SDG progress tracking.

Education Brief Society & Governance
The State of Bangladesh Education

Net enrollment, learning outcomes (PISA proxy), public spending, and skill-employment mismatch.

Women Empowerment Brief
Bangladesh Women's Economic Empowerment Analysis

Female labor force participation 44%, RMG workforce feminization, maternal mortality decline, GBV prevalence, and political representation.

Digital Brief Energy & Environment
The State of Bangladesh Digital Economy

Internet penetration, mobile financial services, e-governance readiness, and ICT export growth.

Nutrition Brief
Child Nutrition in Bangladesh: BDHS 2022 Evidence

Stunting 23.5%, wasting 11.8%, underweight 22.8% (BDHS 2022). Stunting declined 12.5pp over the past decade.

Air Quality Brief Spatial & Environment
Air Quality Assessment: Sentinel-5P Satellite Evidence

Sentinel-5P TROPOMI analysis across 10 cities reveals a pollution index of 64.7/100, with Narayanganj recording the highest NO2 concentration.

Health Brief Society & Governance
The State of Bangladesh Health

Health expenditure (% GDP), out-of-pocket burden, disease profile, and facility coverage gaps.

Cross External Economy Brief
External Economy Nexus: Bangladesh

Commodity price pass-through, remittance-reserves buffer, trade openness and growth, and external shock vulnerability.

Budget Annual
Bangladesh Budget 2026-27: Annual Analysis

FY2025-26 budget: BDT 7.97T total, 11.6% of GDP. Revenue targets, ADP allocation, subsidy burden, and financing composition.

Telecommunications Brief
Bangladesh Telecommunications Sector Analysis

185M mobile subscribers, 4G coverage, spectrum allocation, tower sharing, broadband penetration, and 5G readiness.

Middle East Paper Trade & Finance
Economic Impact of Middle East Conflict on Bangladesh

Shipping disruption costs, energy price pass-through, remittance corridor risk, and export market exposure from Middle East conflict.

Weekly Pulse Economy & Macro
Monthly Economic Pulse: Bangladesh

GDP growth, inflation, exchange rate, reserves, and credit trends from Bangladesh Bank and BBS.

Longrun Macro Brief
Bangladesh's Long-Run Macro Record

Two centuries of Bangladesh macro history from the Global Macro Database: output, prices, debt, trade openness, and crisis chronology.

Remittance Brief Trade & Finance
The State of Bangladesh Remittances

Monthly inflows by corridor, transfer costs, hundi share estimates, and reserve impact.

Ladder Brief
The Closing Ladder: Bangladesh's Diversification Window

The Closing Ladder: measured 5-year entry probabilities into new export industries from 30 years of BACI HS92 data, Bangladesh's 627 entries since 1996, and the open paths ranked by conversion odds.

Fiscal Brief Economy & Macro
The State of Bangladesh Public Finance

NBR revenue collection, ADP spending, deficit financing mix, and debt-to-GDP trajectory.

Jute Brief
Bangladesh Jute Industry Analysis

World's largest exporter and a top-two producer of raw jute. Raw jute vs diversified products, global demand shift to biodegradable packaging, and mill modernization needs.

Defense Security Brief
Bangladesh Defense & Security Economics Analysis

1.2% of GDP on defense, UN peacekeeping contributions (top 5), force modernization, maritime security, and border management.

Migration Diaspora Brief
Bangladesh Migration & Diaspora Economy Analysis

13M+ Bangladeshis abroad, migration cost burden, skill composition, return migration patterns, and diaspora investment.

Food Processing Brief
Bangladesh Food Processing & Agribusiness Analysis

Frozen food exports, dairy processing, rice milling modernization, food safety certification, and cold chain infrastructure.

Microfinance Sme Brief
Bangladesh Microfinance & SME Development Analysis

750+ MFIs, 35M borrowers, average loan size, interest rate caps, SME credit gap, and digital lending growth.

Transport Logistics Brief
Bangladesh Transport & Logistics Analysis

Road network density, railway modal share, Chittagong port throughput, inland waterway freight, and logistics performance index.

Real Estate Brief
Bangladesh Real Estate & Construction Analysis

Dhaka apartment prices, construction permits, cement/steel demand, housing affordability ratio, and RAJUK development control.

Blue Economy Brief
Bangladesh Blue Economy Analysis

Maritime trade routes, exclusive economic zone resources, marine fisheries, port development, and ocean governance framework.

Tourism Brief
Bangladesh Tourism & Hospitality Analysis

Tourist arrivals, revenue per visitor, Cox's Bazar/Sundarbans/Sylhet potential, infrastructure gaps, and visa policy barriers.

Light Engineering Brief
Bangladesh Light Engineering Sector Analysis

40,000+ workshops, import substitution in auto parts and electrical goods, backward linkage to RMG, and technology upgrading needs.

Ceramics Plastics Brief
Bangladesh Ceramics & Plastics Sector Analysis

Ceramics tableware exports ($100M+), plastics manufacturing ecosystem, import substitution progress, and quality certification gaps.

Ict Software Brief
Bangladesh ICT & Software Services Analysis

$1.4B IT/ITES exports, 700K freelancers, Hi-Tech Park occupancy, startup funding landscape, and workforce pipeline.

Leather Footwear Brief
Bangladesh Leather & Footwear Sector Analysis

$1.2B export sector. Savar tannery relocation, CETP compliance, value chain upgrading, and EU market access.

Shipbuilding Brief
Bangladesh Shipbuilding Industry Analysis

$300M export sector. Order book, yard capacity, ship recycling (Sitakunda), IMO compliance, and green shipbuilding potential.

Pharmaceuticals Brief
Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis

$3.5B domestic market, 98% local supply, API import dependence, 80-90% API dependency. TRIPS LDC waiver (end-2033 for LDCs) expires at Bangladesh graduation (Nov 2026); BD lobbying for 2029 post-graduation extension.

Groundwater Brief
Groundwater in Bangladesh: Depletion, Arsenic, and Sustainability

Water per capita 7,900 m3/yr (data unavailable), extraction 30.2 BCM vs 21.2 BCM recharge. Overdraft 9.0 BCM (42%). Arsenic: 14% wells, Barind drop 15m.

Agriculture Brief
Bangladesh Agriculture: Food Security and Productivity

Agriculture 11.2% of GDP (data unavailable), cereal yield 4,750 kg/ha (data unavailable), food inflation 10.0%, rice production 39.1M MT.

Urban Development Brief Spatial & Environment
Bangladesh Urban Development & Sustainability

Satellite analysis of nighttime lights, built-up expansion, urban heat islands, and air quality across 10 cities. Urbanization pressure score: 0.0/100.

Bangladesh Index
State of Bangladesh: Think Tank Index 2026

Composite index scoring Bangladesh across 8 dimensions: economy, trade, governance, health, education, energy, environment, and industry.

Cross Governance Finance Brief
Governance-Finance Nexus: Bangladesh

WGI-FDI correlation, NPL-governance link, regulatory quality impact on credit allocation, and institutional reform scenarios.

Cross Education Labor Brief
Education-Labor Nexus: Bangladesh

2.5M annual labor market entrants vs TVET output of 300K. Skills mismatch by sector, employer survey gaps, and wage premiums.

Cross Climate Agriculture Brief
Climate-Agriculture Nexus: Bangladesh

Salinity impact on Aman rice yield, flood damage to Boro crop, heat stress on labor productivity, and adaptation cost estimates.

Waste Management Brief
Bangladesh Waste Management & Circular Economy Analysis

16,000 tons/day municipal waste, 3% recycling rate, Dhaka landfill pressure, e-waste growth, and informal sector role.

Brick Kiln Brief
Brick Kiln Monitoring in Bangladesh: Pollution and Clean Transition

8,000 kilns producing 33 billion bricks/yr. Only 42% use clean technology. PM2.5 at 42.4 ug/m3.

Spatial Poverty Brief Spatial & Environment
Spatial Poverty in Bangladesh: Evidence from HIES, IPUMS, and DHS

National poverty headcount 18.7% (HIES 2022). Mymensingh is the poorest division (28.7%), Dhaka the least poor (10.8%). District MPI analysis across the available districts reveals persistent northwest-coastal deprivation belt.

Water Wetland Brief Spatial & Environment
Water & Wetland Health: Rivers, Haors, and Transboundary Risks

Water health score 87.4/100, transboundary risk 85.5/100. 8.0M ha wetlands support 20M haor residents.

River Erosion Brief Spatial & Environment
River Erosion Monitor: Satellite Evidence and Human Cost

Combined erosion of 8,700 ha/yr across major rivers. Jamuna accounts for 55.2% of total erosion.

Environmental Change Brief Spatial & Environment
Bangladesh Environmental Change Assessment

Satellite analysis of forest loss, vegetation health, water bodies, and rainfall patterns. Environmental health score: 58.7/100.

Governance Brief Society & Governance
The State of Bangladesh Governance

WGI percentile ranks, CPI score, judicial backlog, RTI compliance, and e-governance adoption.

Climate Vulnerability Brief Spatial & Environment
Bangladesh Climate Vulnerability Assessment

Cross-domain satellite and macroeconomic analysis of flood exposure, rainfall variability, temperature trends, and agricultural vulnerability. Observed-trend momentum index: 26.8/100.

Labor Brief Society & Governance
The State of Bangladesh Labor

Labor force participation, sectoral employment shares, wage trends, and informal economy size.

Banking Brief Trade & Finance
The State of Bangladesh Banking

NPL ratios by bank type, capital adequacy, credit growth, and Bangladesh Bank policy actions.

Energy Brief Energy & Environment
The State of Bangladesh Energy

Power generation capacity, grid losses, fuel mix, per-capita consumption, and load shedding.

Budget27 Analysis Bn
নয় লাখ আটত্রিশ হাজার কোটি টাকার প্রশ্ন

৳৯৩৮,০০০ কোটি টাকার বাজেটের পাঁচটি যাচাই করা পাঠ: রাজস্বের দেয়াল, ঘাটতির পাটিগণিত, রাষ্ট্রের সম্প্রসারণ, অগ্রাধিকারের আসল হিসাব, আর সংশোধনের মৌসুম।

Budget27 Analysis
Budget FY2026-27: The Analysis

The FY2026-27 budget needs 19.3% annual revenue growth against 10.9% GDP growth. Five verified findings on credibility, expansion, interest, priorities, and execution risk.

Budget27 First Read
Budget FY2026-27: First Read

The FY2026-27 budget totals BDT 938,000 crore. Headline numbers, key measures, and ministry-by-ministry breakdown, all verified.