Syed A. Al-Muti

This case study examines the economic structure of Bangladesh and analyzes the contribution and potential of the leather sector in ensuring sustainable economic growth. Through relying on the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) developed by Sabatier et al (2007), it also explores why it became necessary to relocate the leather processing industry fr… Read more

Over the last two decades, significant progress has been made in improving access to finance for women, especially women entrepreneurs. Yet despite the fact that over 30 percent of all small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets globally are women owned and operated, they continue to have lower than average growth rates compared t… Read more

Over the last decade, Bangladesh has experienced impressive economic growth, with GDP growth expanding steadily by an average of 6 percent, and projected to maintain 6.8 percent growth in 2017, according to the World Bank. The steady rise is thanks in large part to the country’s strong garment export industry and rising consumption, making Banglade… Read more

Bangladesh’s economy grew 7.05 percent in the first three quarters of the financial year, averaging over 6 percent a year for the past decade. A major driver of the country’s impressive economic growth is its vibrant ready-made garment (RMG) sector, earning a reputation as a global leader in low-cost, high-quality manufacturing. Bangladesh’s RMG se… Read more

Bangladesh’s highly productive leather sector, under growing international scrutiny for destructive environmental practices, now seems poised for new growth as a major environmental upgrade nears completion. For decades, pollution from Dhaka’s tanneries has poured into the…

By many metrics, Bangladesh’s development trajectory is a unique success story, especially since the 1990s when democratic rule was reinstated and extensive economic reforms were made. Poverty incidence has fallen from 60 percent to around 30 percent.

By 2020, Bangladesh will have a population of 170 million – and half of this population will be made up of women. If the country is to achieve the 8 percent GDP growth it hopes for, making sure that women entrepreneurs are able to reach their full potential and fully contribute…

Bangladesh’s Buriganga River, which flows along the southwest border of Dhaka, has long been a lifeline for this sprawling capital of over 15 million, and is today a vital economic link to the rest of the country connected by an intricate network of rivers and tributaries.

As all eyes turn to Brazil for the World Cup this summer, and to India and Indonesia for two of the world’s largest democratic elections, 2014 may as well be called the “Year of the Middle-Income Country.” Last year saw several economies make steady gains, including powerhouse China…

The government of Bangladesh and the two primary Bangladeshi leather industry trade associations reached a historical agreement last month to transfer the leather industry from central Dhaka to Savar, a new, environmentally compliant industrial zone on the outskirts of the city. According to the president of the Bangladesh Tanners Association, the new location could boost the industry’s export revenues from $1-5 billion. Economists predict that if the leather industry continues its impressive growth, it may even challenge the ready-made garment sector as one of Bangladesh’s most valuable exports.

Any casual observer walking through the heart of a district capital like Bangladesh’s northeastern city of Sylhet or Rangpur, further north, would be impressed by the bustling economic activity. In the early morning, streets are filled with colorful trucks honking their way toward the market place. Their paths are crossed by overloaded rickshaws de… Read more