CPD Newsletter, January-March 2016

CPD Newsletter, January-March 2016

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  January-March 2016 Vol XVIssue 1 QuarterlyQuarterly Centre for Policy Dialogue Bangladesh the editor's desk CPD Anniversary Lecture 2015 was a special event which marked the beginning of CPD activities in year 2016. The lecture was delivered by Mr Simon Maxwell, CBE, Executive Chair of Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), and Chair of the European Think-Tanks Group who spoke on climate compatible development. The lecture, the second of its kind, and the lively discussion which followed, touched upon the manifold challenges that countries such as Bangladesh faced in view of climate change. The subject of the lecture was also very pertinent because of the work CPD has been doing on challenges of SDG implementation in Bangladesh and developing countries. The first reading of the State of the Bangladesh Economy in FY2015-16 was released in this quarter. The report came up with policy suggestions to translate the relative macroeconomic stability into accelerated GDP growth through higher private sector investment. Keeping in view the National Budget FY2016-17, a pre-budget dialogue titled Development of Small and Medium Enterprises of the Bogra Region: Challenges and Initiatives was organised in the district town of Bogra. The need for setting up a special economic zone in Bogra was echoed by the participants as a key intervention to stimulate development of the SME sector in the region. A dialogue titled Struggle for Bangladesh was organised in this quarter where eminent citizens of the country discussed the genesis, political struggle, economic rationale and philosophical underpinnings of Bangladesh’s liberation war. The discussion was anchored on Professor Rehman Sobhan’s memoir Untranquil Recollections: The Years of Fulfilment. A unique event of which CPD was a partner of the discussion session titled Revival of Muslin: Policies and Institutions which was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh, Drik and BRAC. Skills development, institutional support and the need for GI registration received prominence in the discussion which followed keynote presentations by leading experts. Mr Simon Maxwell (third from left) at the CPD Anniversary Lecture 2015 Climate compatible development offers a framework for thinking about the pathway to overcome the ‘wicked problems’ of dealing with climate-related challenges, while simultaneously achieving the poverty reduction target of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said Mr Simon Maxwell, CBE at the CPD Anniversary Lecture 2015. He remarked that achieving the SDGs will require close integration of poverty, environmental and social action in the light of the idea of ‘zero-zero’ that is zero poverty by 2030 and zero net emission of CO2 by 2070. Mr Simon Maxwell, Executive Chair, Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN); Chair, European Think-Tanks Group; and former Director, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London was addressing the CPD Anniversary Lecture 2015 on Climate Compatible Development: Pathway or Pipedream? on 16 January 2016 at The Westin Dhaka. The event was chaired by Professor Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, CPD. Drawing attention to climate challenges Mr Maxwell observed that in order to have sustainable solutions, engagement of all sectors, public and private, is must for a country like Bangladesh. The demographic changes, urbanisation, inter-sectoral shifts, integration into the world economy, and the management of financial and trade shocks - all need to be addressed simultaneously. He also mentioned that addressing all of these issues of climate challenge is like solving complex puzzles. Mr Maxwell termed these complex puzzles as ‘wicked problems’ which require multi-causal interdependencies among different stakeholders to have a compatible solution. To achieve the target of ‘zero’ net carbon emission by 2070, Mr Maxwell stressed on three key points, i.e. policy leadership, policy design and policy implementation. These are critical to the roadmap of zero-zero where think tanks should act and be engaged with responsibility, he added. In the concluding remarks, Professor Rehman Sobhan outlined that generating funds from own resources for addressing climate-related challenges will not be an easy task for Bangladesh. In this context, political will is an important factor, he emphasised. The event was attended by more than 250 distinguished participants including policymakers, bureaucrats, ambassadors, climate experts, development practitioners, trade leaders and university students. Climate Compatible Development Key to Overcome the “WICKED PROBLEMS” CPD Anniversary Lecture 2015
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  CENTRE FOR POLICYDIALOGUE (CPD)  A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK CPD Quarterly 2 January - March 2016 Rehman Sobhan’s Memoir: A Valuable Historical Source on Bangladesh’s Independence Eminent citizens of Bangladesh observed that the memoir Untranquil Recollections: The Years of Fulfillment by Professor Rehman Sobhan, Chairman of CPD, describes the history and philosophy of the liberation war of Bangladesh with much understanding of the state of the political economy of the country at that time. They have also noted that the University of Dhaka should reclaim the tradition of contributing to the national commitment and crisis. These observations came from the CPD dialogue titled The Struggle for Bangladesh held at BRAC Centre Inn Auditorium, Dhaka on 30 January 2016. Anchored by CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya the contemporary issues of the country came under discussion in the light of the history of our liberation war narrated in the memoir by Professor Sobhan. Discussants at the dialogue observed that Professor Sobhan contributed not only to the liberation movement, but also tried to spread out the philosophy of freedom among the common Bangladeshis. His initiatives to seek support from Delhi, Paris, London, Washington DC and Ottawa catalysed the liberation process, said Dr Gowher Rizvi, Prime Minister’s Adviser on International Affairs. Professor Sobhan recalled that there was a market demand for economic rights of the people of East Bengal which was neglected by the then ruling power. “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman picked up the issue (of economic rights) and we regularly conversed on it”, he reminisced The event was attended by eminent citizens, scholars, political leaders, development practitioners, diplomats among others. Press Briefing: State of the Bangladesh Economy Policy Package Put Forward to Address Worrying Signs in the Economy Bangladesh government needs to take advantage of the relative macroeconomic stability to stimulate private-sector investment in FY2015-16. In view of this, CPD proposed a comprehensive policy package in its report titled State of the Bangladesh Economy in FY2015-16 (First Reading) presented at a media briefing at the BRAC Centre Inn Auditorium, Dhaka on 3 January 2016. Prepared under CPD’s Independent Review of Bangladesh’s Development (IRBD) programme the report was presented by CPD Research Fellow Mr Towfiqul Islam Khan. According to the report, Bangladesh economy experienced a number of macroeconomic advantages including lower inflation, declining interest rate, stable exchange rate and manageable fiscal deficit, positive balance of payments, augmented foreign exchange reserves, and low level of global commodity prices during the first half of FY2015-16. Mr Khan highlighted that the fiscal framework of FY2015-16 has come under severe strain in the early months of this fiscal year. CPD perceived that overall shortfall in the government revenue may reach Tk. 40,000 crore in the absence of urgent remedial measures. Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow of CPD proposed four major policy interventions: (i) downward adjustment of the fuel prices; (ii) emphasis on timely implementation of priority ADP projects and utilisation of foreign aid; (iii) reduction in policy rates of the central bank; and (iv) marginally depreciate exchange rate. He also suggested the government to implement the forthcoming VAT and SD Act timely for augmenting higher revenue mobilisation. CPD Executive Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman stressed that the fuel price adjustment should be calibrated by taking into cognisance of the overall impact of the price-change mix on the major stakeholders as well as government’s subsidy-related expenditure and earnings. The event concluded following a Q&A session with the media. CPD researchers presenting the State of the Bangladesh Economy in FY2015-16 (First Reading) The book brings together Rehman Sobhan’s personal story situated within the historical events of Bangladesh, from its birth as East Pakistan to its revaluation as an independent democratic state Untranquil Recollections The Years of Fulfillment Policy Package Downward adjustment of the fuel prices Emphasis on timely implementation of priority ADP projects and utilisation of foreign aid Reduction in policy rates of the central bank Marginally depreciate exchange rate (left) Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam, Dr Kamal Hossain, Professor Rehman Sobhan, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya and Dr Gowher Rizvi
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  CENTRE FOR POLICYDIALOGUE (CPD)  A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK CPD Quarterly 3 January - March 2016 (letf) Dr Rosemary Crill, Mr Saiful Islam, Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Mr Faizul Latif Chowdhury, Mr Jamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and Dr Hameeda Hossain Young trade leaders sharing views on national budget FY2016-17 CPD-DRIK National Dialogue Multistakeholder Partnership Critical to Revive Muslin Required policies and institutional support from the government, investment of both public and private sectors in skill development training and baseline research together with knowledge and expertise of the civil society organisations and individuals is the key to reviving Muslin; the extinct heritage of our Bengal culture. Such recommendations emerged from the CPD-Drik discussion session on Revival of Muslin: Policies and Institutions organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh and BRAC on 7 February 2016 at Kabi Sufia Kamal Auditorium of the Bangladesh National Museum. The initiative was undertaken to tell the story of this unique fabric whose main production hub was in Dhaka, and also to inspire the relevant quarters to undertake research on the lost plant and production techniques, and thus, work towards revival of Muslin. While chairing the session Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director, CPD opined that public sectors have to play the most important role in terms of addressing the concerns of the industry and advancing the interest of Muslin in Bangladesh. Mr Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Secretary, Ministry of Industries, Government of Bangladesh, as the Chief Guest, extended his appreciation for such initiative undertaken by the organisers and ensured that the government would act proactively to make this initiative successful. CEO of Drik Picture Library Mr Saiful Islam described how they were trying to organise, guide and patronise a group of weavers to recover the lost glory and how exciting it was to see positive and enthusiastic responses from them. Dr Rosemary Crill, Senior Curator, South Asian Textiles and Dress, Victoria and Albert Museum, London presented the keynote paper where she gave a historical overview of the source and use of fine Muslin. Through this archival depiction she brought in the context which she felt would help regain the lost heritage back in future. Md Farid Uddin, Executive Director, Cotton Development Board; Mr Ershad Hossian, Chairman, Bangladesh Handloom Board; Mr Jamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Industries; Dr Momtaz Uddin Ahmed, former Professor of Economics, Dhaka University; Dr Perween Hasan, Vice Chancellor, Central Women’s University; Professor Dr Syed Masud Husain, Vice Chancellor; BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology (BUFT); Ms Bibi Russell, Eminent Fashion Designer also spoke amongst others. Young professionals and trade leaders of Bangladesh felt the need of platforms where their voices on the issues of national interest will be heard and considered while designing the future development of the country. They suggested that there should be forums and also network of youths both in Dhaka and outside, and their views must reach to the policymakers. This would not only help them addressing the challenges they are facing in running their businesses and activities, but would also facilitate making their contribution to the country’s development. CPD organised a discussion session titled Conversation with Future Leaders at its office on 25 February 2016 where the young participants also expressed concerns for Bangladesh on its way towards sustainable development. They provided some suggestions for the upcoming national budget FY2016-17 as regards fiscal policies and allocation of resources. They suggested for a more balanced tariff structure keeping in mind both export Young Professionals Call for Greater Voice in Nation Building and the industries serving local markets, higher allocation for education, particularly for tertiary education emphasising employability, special allocation for green fund, etc. The discussion was participated by Mr Asif Aftab, Managing Director, International Office Equipment (IOE); Ms Amrita Islam, Deputy Managing Director, Picard Bangladesh Ltd; Mr Korvi Rakshand, Founder, JAAGO Foundation; Mr Shams Mahmud, Managing Director, Shasha Denims Ltd; Mr Fayaz Taher, CEO, Fortuna Group; Mr Navidul Huq, Director, Mohammadi Group; Mr Tafsir Mohammed Awal, Chairman, Multimode Transport Consultants Ltd; Mr Sartaj Bhuiyan, Director – Planning & Strategy, GE Bangladesh; Ms Sarah Ali, Managing Director, Bitopi Advertising Ltd; Ms Musharrat Hossain, Lecturer, North South University; Ms Maimuna Ahmad, Founder and CEO, Teach For Bangladesh Office among others. Discussion with Young Professionals
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  CENTRE FOR POLICYDIALOGUE (CPD)  A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK CPD Quarterly 4 January - March 2016 Young Scholars’ Seminar Series (YSSS) In-house Dialogues All of Us are Responsible for Rana Plaza Tragedy: IDRC President Tragedy like Rana Plaza does not happen in a vacuum. Directly or indirectly all of us are responsible. The government, RMG factory owners, workers- nobody played their due roles to avoid such an incident, remarked Dr Jean Lebel, President of International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada during his visit at CPD office on 2 March 2016. The Rana Plaza incident should not be seen as a unique incident for Bangladesh only, rather it needs to be phrased in global perspective. This will allow the experiences and knowledge around the world to be used in developing a system to avoid similar incidents from occurring again, observed Dr Lebel. Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Research Director of CPD, in his brief presentation on the subject, mentioned about a number of anomalies and weaknesses in the global apparel value chain that were exposed due to the Rana Plaza tragedy. A selected group of participants including parliamentarians, government officials, economists, development practitioners and labour leaders attended the meeting. As buyers are attracted to low-cost products, discussants at the event suggested to compensate the workers with various subsidies instead of raising wages, observed one of the labour leaders among the discussants. Professor Rehman Sobhan, Chairman of CPD proposed to IDRC President, to reflect on two issues as part of their work programmes. Firstly, IDRC may initiate an inquiry into the global comparative situation on the existing compliance processes in the RMG sectors in the exporting countries. Secondly, IDRC may examine the global value chain of major buyers and retailers to ensure distributive justice among the value chain and also a fair way to establish rationality in pricing. Democratic Deficiency Causing Changes in the World Economic Order Ambassador Muchkund Dubey, Chairman of Council for Social Development and Former Foreign Secretary, Government of India visited Bangladesh earlier this year. CPD organised an in-house dialogue on 28 March 2016 where Ambassador Dubey made a presentation on Contribution of the Emerging Economies to the Restructuring of the Global Economy. He observed that the economically strong countries lacking political power such as China, are now seeking new world order. However, the continuing role of US Dollar as an international reserve currency is halting the new economic order. The Chinese virtue of USD reserve power is critical in impacting the international reserve currency of the new order to gold standard. The global financial crisis in 2008-09 has pushed the world economy towards a new order, said CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya. He observed that the G-20 would be the major player in the new global economic order ushering more just, equitable and prosperous global economy, he added. Moderated by Mr M Syeduzzaman, Member of CPD Board of Trustees and former Finance Minister the event was participated by Ambassador Mr Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, former Foreign Secretary; Ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmad, Chairman of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS); Ambassador Muhammad Zamir, Former Chief Information Commissioner; Ambassador Ashfaqur Rahman, Chairman of Centre for Foreign Affairs Studies; Ambassador M Humayun Kabir among others. Ambassador Muchkund Dubey The economically strong countries lacking political power such as China, are now seeking new world order. As part of CPD’s Young Scholars’ Seminar Series (YSSS), Research Associates Mr Mahtab Uddin Ahmed (right) and Mr Ashraful Haque Mahfuze shared their ongoing studies, respectively, on Wage Fixing Institution and their Impacts in Major Garment-producing Countries: The Case of Bangladesh and Analysis of the SDGs: Perspective from Bangladesh at CPD office on 18 February 2016.
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  CENTRE FOR POLICYDIALOGUE (CPD)  A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK CPD Quarterly 5 January - March 2016 Budget for Education in Bangladesh: An Analysis of Trends, Gaps and Priorities Despite the directions provided by the National Education Policy 2010 (NEP), budgetary allocations for education has been secularly declining as a share of the national budget which is quite inadequate to address existing challenges in this sector and to ensure quality education. In this context CPD, in collaboration with the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), has undertaken a study to analyse current trends in education finance and its adequacy to ensure quality education for all in Bangladesh. The study looks into key challenges for the country’s education sector such as level of absenteeism, dropout rates at both primary and secondary levels; lower teacher-student ratio; inadequate quality-enhancing training facilities for teachers, etc. This study is being conducted by Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Mr Towfiqul Islam Khan and Mr Mostafa Amir Sabbih of CPD. Implementation Challenges of the SDGs in Developing Countries: An Early Assessment As the world begins to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there are key challenges that all developing countries are expected to confront. CPD, in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh office, carried out the study to explore the implementation challenges the developing countries are likely to face in the early stage of SDG implementation. The study identified five key challenges based on prevailing situations in a range of selected developing countries. These challenges are - integrating the 2030 Agenda into national planning process; institutional architecture for implementation; financial and non-financial resources; data for tracking and monitoring; and participation and accountability. The study team included Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Mr Towfiqul Islam Khan, Ms Umme Shefa Rezbana and Ms Lam-ya Mostaque of CPD. The Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017 - Executive Opinion Survey 2016 The Executive Opinion Survey 2016 has been conducted by CPD in Bangladesh as part of the “The Voice of the Business Community” by the World Economic Forum. This survey contributes to the Global Competitiveness Report and provides key analysis that turns the Report into a representative, annual measure of a nation’s economic environment and its ability to achieve sustained growth. Led by Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem other team members of the study are Mr Kishore Kumer Basak and Mr Noor Yea-Amin of CPD. The survey collected feedback on perception, concerns and expectation from about 100 influential business executives and owners in the country. Potential and Challenges of Developing Sub-regional Growth Zone based on Bangladesh-North East India Connectivity The connectivity between North East India (NEI), Bangladesh and rest of the India is a critical link to the connection between South Asia and South East Asia. The Bangladesh-NEI connectivity has the potential for developing a ‘Growth Zone’ based on sub-regional cooperation that may include Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and West Bengal. In this context, the objective of the study was to explore the potentials and challenges of economic cooperation between Bangladesh and NEI. The study team included Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem and Mr Shashish Shami Kamal of CPD. Visit & Meeting H E Ms Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, US Ambassador to Bangladesh visited CPD on 17 February 2016 Dr Muhammed Muqtada, former Director, Policy Planning, Employment Sector, ILO at the Expert Consultation on “Operationalising Inclusive Growth in Bangladesh through Full and Decent Employment: Points for Consultation” on 6 January 2016 Research Division Report Publications CPD Dialogue Report  Salma, U. 2016. Safeguarding Interests of Bangladesh Migrant Workers: Issue of Financial Inclusion and Protection. CPD Dialogue Report 112. Dhaka: Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). Magazine Article  Moazzem, K. G. 2016. Attracting Local and Foreign Private Investment in Bangladesh: Role of BEZA. Dhaka: Bangladesh Export Processing Zone (BEZA). International Publication  Bhattacharya, D. 2016. Strengthening the Global Trade and Investment System for Sustainable Development: Post-2015 International Development Agenda in the Context of Interlocking Trade and Financing in the LDCs. Switzerland: International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD). Articles in International Publications  Moazzem, K. G. and Sehrin F. 2016. Economic Upgrading in Bangladesh’s Apparel Value Chain during the Post-MFA Period: An Exploratory Analysis. South Asia Economic Journal. 17 (1). P. 73-93. February 4.  Rahman, M., Moazzem, K. G., Chowdhury, M. I., and Sehrin, F. 2016. Bangladesh: Perspectives on Deepening Cross-border Links. Connecting Asia: Infrastructure for Integrating South and Southeast Asia. Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Cheshire: Edward Elgar Publishing.  Bari, E. and Haque, A. K. E. 2016. The Economics of Taming Teesta River: Limits the Choice of Agricultural Crop Diversification. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology. February 8. Newspaper Articles and Op-eds  Rahman, M. 2016. wewb‡qvMB eo P¨v‡jÄ. Daily Prothom Alo. 1 January.  Jahan, R. 2016. Dbœqb I MYZš¿ GKm‡½ Pj‡Z cv‡i. Daily Banik Barta. 1 January.  Bhattacharya, D. 2016. MwZkxj A_©bxwZi cÖZ¨vkv. Daily Manobkantha. 3 January.  Khatun, F. 2016. Economist with a Passion for the Poor. The Daily Star. 11 January.  Khatun, F. 2016. The Environment We Live in. The Daily Star. 18 January.  Moazzem, K. G. 2016. Plastic Waste Management: In Search of an Effective Operational Framework. The Financial Express. 21 January.  Khatun, F. 2016. Loan Default and Flaunting Money. The Daily Star. 25 January.  Khatun, F. 2016. Corruption Hurts. The Daily Star. 1 February.  Khatun, F. 2016. Visa Hassles for Bangladeshis. The Daily Star. 15 February.  Sobhan, R. 2016. Physician Heal Thyself. The Daily Star. 19 February.  Khatun, F. 2016. Quick Implementation for Quick Results. The Daily Star. 29 February.  Sobhan, R. 2016. ZLb Kvh©Z e½eÜyi kvmb PjwQj. Daily Prothom Alo. 6 March.  Sobhan, R. 2016. `ywU evwo wQj e½eÜyi A_©‰bwZK mwPevjq. Daily Prothom Alo. 7 March.  Sobhan, R. 2016. Rš§w`‡bi kÖ×vÄwj. Daily Bangladesh Pratidin.12 March.  Jahan, R. 2016. weGbwci m‡¤§j‡b bxwZ I Kg©cš’v wb‡q weZK© Kvg¨. Daily Samakal. 18 March. Newspaper Interviews  Sobhan, R. 2016. DbœwZ m‡Ë¡I mgvR Amg. Daily Bangladesh Pratidin. 12 March.  Bhattacharya, D. 2016. Aspects and Implications of SDGs and Other Crucial Economic Issues. Voice of Business. Issue 7. 28 March.
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  CENTRE FOR POLICYDIALOGUE (CPD)  A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK CPD Quarterly 6 January - March 2016 Rehman Sobhan, Chairman Delivered lecture  on Towards a More Equitable Development Strategy for Bangladesh at Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) on 1 February 2016.  on The Nature of Politics in Bangladesh: Challenges of Democratizing Democracy at National Defence College, Bangladesh on 9 February 2016.  on Towards a More Equitable Development Strategy for Bangladesh at University of Chittagong on 5 March 2016. Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director  Participated at the Business Session: Investment Opportunities in EZs and the Role of Economic Zones in the event titled Investment Promotion Road-Show: Development of Economic Zones in Bangladesh organised by Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) on 20 January 2016.  Was panellist at the Business Session: Promoting Intraregional Investments through South Asia Regional Integration in the “Bangladesh Investment and Policy Summit 2016” organised by the Board of Investment, Bangladesh on 25 January 2016.  Chaired the presentation session on Current Developing World and the SDG organised by United Nations Association of Bangladesh (UNAB) on 26 January 2016.  Chaired a session titled Trade and Regional Integration at the “First Economists’ Conference on Bangladesh: Way towards a Middle Income Country” organised by South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) on 20 February 2016.  Delivered lecture on “Sustainable Development: Implications and Challenges” at the International Training Workshop on Governance in Micro Credit Delivery System for Rural Development organised by BARD in Comilla on 26 February 2016.  Was panellist at session-2 on “Economic Cooperation” at the discussion titled Bangladesh-India Relations: Ground Rules of a New Paradigm organised by Friends of Bangladesh, MoFA-Bangladesh and India Foundation-Delhi on 5 March 2016.  Was panellist at session 2 on “Unlocking Economic and Business Potentials” at the seminar on Bangladesh’s Relations with Latin American Countries: Unlocking Potentials organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) on 6 March 2016.  Was a panel speaker at the World Bank’s South Asia Regional Management Team Retreat on 8 March 2016.  Participated at the seminar titled Sustainable Development Goals: Challenges for Bangladesh organised by International Chamber of (Continued on page 7) Rehman Sobhan, Chairman  Participated at the Thirteenth Kolkata Group Workshop Democracy and Development organised by Pratichi (India) Trust, Harvard University and UNICEF India in Kolkata, India on 20-22 January 2016. Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director  Participated at the South Asia Regional Consultation on Agriculture and Food Systems in New Delhi, India on 11-12 February 2016.  Chaired session-1 on “Examination of Structural Transformation and Diversification in LDCs” at the Expert Group Meeting titled Promoting Inclusive Growth in the LDCs through Improved Global Governance organised by LDC IV Monitor in France on 29 February 2016.  Participated at the workshop titled Middle Income Trap: International Experiences and Lessons for Vietnam organised by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Vietnam on 17-18 March 2016.  Participated at the Consultative Meeting of Commonwealth Expert Group on Trade titled Revitalising Global Trade and Multilateralism organised by The Commonwealth and Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi, India on 30 March 2016. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow  Participated at a roundtable discussion titled Measuring Progress on the SDGs: Building National Statistical Capacity organised by United Nation Foundation (UNF) in New York, USA on 4 February 2016.  Participated at the third meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) Monitoring and Advisory Group (MAG) organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New York, USA on 5-7 February 2016.  Participated at a policy dialogue titled Unpacking the Nairobi Outcome for LDCs organised by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) in Geneva, Switzerland on 8 February 2016.  Participated at a workshop on Opportunities and Challenges for the Multilateral System organised by the Swedish Minister for Strategic Development & Nordic Cooperation in Stockholm, Sweden on 11 February 2016.  Participated at the LDC IV Monitor Meeting on Promoting Inclusive Growth in the LDCs through Improved Global Governance in Paris, France on 29 February 2016.  Participated at the inaugural conference of the West African Think Tank Network (WATTNet) in Accra, Ghana on 2-3 March 2016.  Was panellist at the Plenary Session III: Southern Development Narrative and Role of Southern Think-tanks of the “International Conference on South-South Cooperation” organised by Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC) and Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) in New Delhi, India on 10 March 2016.  Participated at the Wilton Park dialogue on Unlocking the potential for the World Trade Organisation to deliver modern trade deals in West Sussex, UK on 14-15 March 2016. Fahmida Khatun, Research Director  Participated at a seminar titled Accessing Resources from Global Market: Geo-political Challenges and Strategies organised by the Energy Research Institute in New Delhi, India on 22-23 January 2016. Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Research Director  Presented paper titled Global Supply Chain and International Trade Regime- in the participating regime: Case of Bangladesh at the technical meeting on “Core Labour Standards plus-Linking Trade and Decent Work in Global Supply Chains in Asia” in Bangkok, Thailand on 1-2 March 2016.  Presented keynote paper titled Connectivity, Migration and Business- Issues and Concerns: within and beyond at the Thematic Meeting of the Ninth Global Forum on Migration and Development in Bangkok, Thailand on 29 March 2016. Towfiqul Islam Khan, Research Fellow  Presented paper titled Illicit Financial Flow in the context of Bangladesh at the seminar titled “International Taxation and Regional Cooperation: Challenges and Opportunities for Asia” organised by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) and Financial Transparency Coalition (FTC) in Delhi, India on 29-30 March 2016.  Participated at the FTC Asia Network Meeting organised by CBGA and FTC in Delhi, India on 31 March 2016. Shashish Shami Kamal, Research Associate  Presented paper titled Strategic Suggestions for Enhancing Intra-regional Trade, Investment and Connectivity among BIMSTEC countries in the seminar titled “BIMSTEC at 20: Agenda for 2017 and Beyond” organised by Centre for Studies in International Relations and Development (CSIRD) and Institute of Foreign Policy Studies (IFPS), University of Calcutta in Calcutta, India on 28-29 March 2016. Maeesa Ayesha, Programme Associate  Participated at the Asia-Pacific Civil Society Forum on Sustainable Development in Bangkok, Thailand on 31 March – 2 April 2016. CPD Professionals in International Fora CPD Professionals in National Fora
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  CENTRE FOR POLICYDIALOGUE (CPD)  A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK CPD Quarterly 7 January - March 2016 Commerce, Bangladesh (ICCB) on 20 March 2016.  Participated the Hon’ble Finance Minister’s Pre-Budget Discussion with Economists organised by the Ministry of Finance, Government of Bangladesh on 21 March 2016.  Was speaker at the session 1 on Trade, Commerce, Industry & Connectivity in the seminar on Bangladesh India Cooperation organised by Bangladesh Itihas Sammilani (BIS) and Centre for East and North East Region Studies- Kolkata (CENERS-K) on 27 March 2016. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow  Participated as chief guest at the †¯^”Qv i³`vZv m¤§vbbv Abyôvb organised by Quantum Foundation on 8 January 2016.  Delivered keynote speech on National Climate Planning at session 2 of the “Gobeshona Conference for Research on Climate Change in Bangladesh” organised by International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) on 11 January 2016.  Was a guest of honour to give away awards at a ceremoney organised by Bishwo Shahitto Kendro (BSK) on 15 January 2016.  Facilitated academic session on Developments Policies & Strategies of Major Development Partners: Beyond 2015 & SDGs for 105th & 106th Advanced Course on Administration and Development (ACAD) at BPATC on 22 February 2016.  Participated at the Annual General Meeting of the Madaripur Legal Aid on 20 February 2016.  Participated at the UNDP Advisory Board Meeting on 25 February 2016.  Participated as chief guest at The Unveiling Ceremony of the 7th Issue of the Voice of Business Magazine Series organised by Faculty of Business, University of Dhaka on 28 March 2016.  Conducted academic session on MDGs and Beyond 2015: SDGs & Vision 2021 for the 108th ACAD at BPATC on 29 March 2016. Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow  Delivered lecture on The Challenges of Institutionalizing Democracy in Bangladesh at Nazmul Karim Study Center, University of Dhaka on 28 January 2016 and at BPATC on 1 February 2016. Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Research Director  Was a panellist at the discussion titled wkíbxwZ I Askx`vi‡`i fvebv organised by the daily Prothom Alo on 2 January 2016.  Presented paper titled Plastic Waste Management in Bangladesh: in Search of an Effective Operational Framework at the seminar on “Problems and Prospects of Plastic Waste Recycling in Bangladesh” organised by Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturer and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) on 21 January 2016.  Participated at the Policy Advisory Group Meeting of the SME Foundation on 10 February 2016.  Presented keynote at roundtable discussion titled A Coordinated Approach in Capacity Building- is It Possible for Bangladesh’s RMG Sector? organised by Foreign Trade Association (FTA) and Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) on 2 March 2016.  Participated at the “Technical Team Meeting” on TPP and its Possible Implications in Bangladesh organised by the Ministry of Commerce, GoB on 10 march 2016.  Participated at the discussion on SDGs and Domestic Mobilisation organised by the Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance, GoB on 19 March 2016.  Participated at the Advisory Board Meeting of the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety on 13 January 2016. Towfiqul Islam Khan, Research Fellow  Presented paper titled Nexus among vision 2021, Seventh Five Year plan and SDGs in the “Strategic Planning Meeting 2016” organised by Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) on 12 January 2016.  Participated at the launching of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) 2015-2016 Monitoring (Second) Round organised by Economic Relations Division (ERD), Government of Bangladesh on 14 January 2016.  Presented paper on Social Safety Net Programmes in Bangladesh at the “Citizen Voice and Action Training Workshop” organised by World Vision International Bangladesh on 8 February 2016.  Presented paper titled Nexus between Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and Seventh Five Year Plan at the “Oxfam Bangladesh Program Team Meeting” on 11 February 2016.  Presented paper titled Social Safety Net Programmes: Bangladesh Context and State of Public Policy at the inception workshop on “Establishing Vulnerable People’s Access to Social Safety Net Programmes” organised by World Vision International Bangladesh on 14 February 2016.  Presented ongoing study titled National Budget for Education in Bangladesh: A Trend Analysis at a sharing session organised by CAMPE on 9 March 2016.  Presented paper titled Nexus between Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and Seventh Five Year Plan at the workshop on “Theory of Change” organised by on Oxfam Bangladesh 16 March 2016.  Presented paper titled Sustainable Development Goals: Implication and Challenges at the event titled “Readshop” organised by Oxfam Bangladesh on 20 March 2016.  Participated at the Expert Group Consultation on Macroeconomics for Women organised by BRAC Institute of Governance and Development on 24 March 2016. Kishore Kumer Basak, Senior Research Associate  Presented paper titled Exploring Trade Potential in BCIM EC for Bangladesh: Possible Sectors for Developing Production Network at the session titled “Bangladesh: Way towards a Middle Income Country” of the “SANEM Annual Economists' Conference 2016” on organised by South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) on 20 February 2016. Umme Shefa Rezbana, Senior Research Associate  Attended the session on Financing gender equality and women’s empowerment in the 2030 Agenda: Gender Responsive Budgeting in Bangladesh of the preparatory meeting for 60th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) organised by UN Women Bangladesh on 28 February 2016. Estiaque Bari, Research Associate  Participated at capacity building workshop titled Cutting Edge Research on Economic Growth organised by SANEM and Department for International Development, UK (DFID) on 19 February 2016. Mostafa Amir Sabbih, Research Associate  Participated at the Global Financing Facility Launch in Bangladesh organised by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh and World Bank on 24 January 2016.  Participated at the capacity building workshop on Cutting Edge Research on Economic Growth organised by SANEM and DFID on 19 February 2016.  Participated at seminar titled 7th Five Year Plan and Roadmap for Implementing SDGs in Bangladesh organised by General Economics Division (GED), Government of Bangladesh and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) on 30 March 2016. Muntaseer Kamal, Research Associate  Participated at a seminar titled Energy Access vs Energy Poverty: Implication for policy work organised by Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) on 11 February 2016.  Presented paper titled Bangladesh’s Growth Trajectories: Is the Country Approaching to Lewis Turning Point in its Economic Development? at the “Breakout Session 4: Sectoral Economy” of “Annual Economists’ Conference 2016” organised by SANEM on 20 February 2016.  Participated at a seminar titled Natural Resources, National Income and Planning in Bangladesh organised by Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) on 16 March 2016. Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Research Associate  Participated at the International Plastic Summit 2016 organised by Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BPGMEA) on 21 January 2016.  Participated at the public lecture on Whither the World: The Political Economy of Future organised by Bangladesh Economic Association on 2 February 2016.  Participated at the roundtable discussion on UNICEF Children’s Rights and (Continued on page 8) (from page 6) National Fora (contd.)
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  CENTRE FOR POLICYDIALOGUE (CPD)  A CIVIL SOCIETY THINK TANK CPD Quarterly 8 January - March 2016 Published by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) House - 6/2 (7th & 8th floors), Block - F, Kazi Nazrul Islam Road, Lalmatia Housing Estate, Dhaka - 1207, Bangladesh Telephone: (+88 02) 9141703, 9143326; Fax: (+88 02) 8130951; E-mail: info@cpd.org.bd; Website: www.cpd.org.bd (left) Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Mr T Zaman Niketa, Mr Bazlul Karim Bahar, Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Mr Abdul Mannan, MP A Special SME Economic Zone Needed in Bogra (from page 7) National Fora (contd.) Eminent economist Dr Mahabub Hossain was a distinguished member of the CPD Board of Trustees. CPD remembers Dr Hossain’s substantial contribution to research on development economics and agricultural policy in South and Southeast Asia. Local Level Dialogue A specialised economic zone is needed in Bogra for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with all necessary infrastructure, utility and support services. Besides, appropriate infrastructure and communication development is must to support and encourage entrepreneurs in this sector. The government should focus on necessary budgetary allocations and fiscal-monetary incentives to support the growth of SMEs in Bogra. These observations emerged from the CPD pre-budget dialogue titled “Development of Small and Medium Enterprises of the Bogra Region: Challenges and Initiatives” held on 24 March 2016 at Parjatan Motel Conference Hall, Bogra. The dialogue was organised under CPD’s flagship programme Independent Review of Bangladesh’s Development (IRBD). Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Additional Research Director, CPD presented the keynote titled National Budget and Decentralised Development of SMEs: A Case Study of SME Clusters in Bogra at the dialogue. He put emphasis on issues of raising competitiveness, access to finance and regulatory regime governing SME development in Bangladesh. His presentation focused on allocations for SMEs in national budgets during FY2004-05 to FY2014-15 and major challenges facing the SMEs, particularly in the SMEs clusters in Bogra. Deputy Commissioner of Bogra Mr Ashraful Islam, as Special Guest, said that the district administration will provide necessary support to the SME entrepreneurs in Bogra and will ensure that the entrepreneurs receive all the necessary services. Mr Abdul Mannan, MP, Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Agriculture, as the Chief Guest, stressed the need for setting up cold storage facility in remote areas in Bogra. A number of participants highlighted the need for a common and well-coordinated platform which could play an important role in promoting the interests of SMEs in Bogra. CPD Executive Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman observed that the various proposals emerging from the dialogue covering institutional, fiscal, regulatory initiatives and budgetary support will help CPD in its preparation of proposals for the upcoming FY2016-17 Budget. Chaired by Mr Bazlul Karim Bahar, President, Sachetan Nagarik Committee (SANAC) – Bogra the discussion was participated by SME entrepreneurs, representatives of SME associations, NGOs, trade unions, bankers, economists, academicians and local elected representatives among others. CPD remembers Dr Mahabub Hossain (1945-2016) One of the fundamental rights of the citizens stipulated in the Bangladesh Constitution is food security Dr Mahabub Hossain Business Programme for Garment Manufacturers organised by UNICEF Bangladesh on 1 March 2016. Shahida Pervin, Research Associate  Participated at capacity building workshop titled Cutting Edge Research on Economic Growth organised by SANEM and DFID on 19 February 2016. Lam-ya Mostaque, Research Associate  Participated at the seminar titled Natural Resources, National Income, and Planning in Bangladesh organised by BIISS on 16 March 2016.  Participated at the Integrity Dialogue on Climate Change Adaptation Finance Transparency: Accountability and Participation organised by Transparency International- Bangladesh (TIB) on 29 March 2016. Ashraful Haque Mahfuze, Research Associate  Participated at the SANEM Annual Economists’ Conference on 20 February 2016.  Participated at the workshop titled SDG and Trade: Achieving Win-Wins organised by Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) on 22-23 March 2016.  Participated at the GP Monitoring survey multi-stakeholders dialogue organised by ERD, Government of Bangladesh on 28 March 2016. Ummah Salma, Programme Associate  Participated at the workshop titled SDG and Trade: Achieving Win-Wins organised by ADBI and BIMSTEC on 22-23 March 2016.