1st Edition

COVID-19 and Bangladesh Inclusion, Disaggregation and Transition

Edited By Debapriya Bhattacharya, Towfiqul Islam Khan Copyright 2025
    240 Pages 9 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    COVID-19 and Bangladesh analyses the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and features the socioeconomic fallouts for disadvantaged communities in Bangladesh, their coping mechanisms and implications for the country's development ambitions.  

    The contributors to the book examine the immediate impact of economic adversities, which rapidly translated into health, employment, education and other socioeconomic problems. They show that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted the communities that were traditionally left behind and created a new group of people that are "pushed behind". Structured in four sections, the book examines impact and adjustment in the areas of employment, income and expenditure and health, education and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and offers policy perspectives. The empirical analysis and policy conclusions presented in the chapters are based on official secondary data, household-level primary surveys, focus-group discussions, key informant interviews and reviews of public policy documents. The policy conclusions and outlook presented in the book can be instructive for other low-middle income, or graduating least developed countries (LDC).  

    A unique contribution to the current debate on the diverse implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, this book will be of interest to policymakers and academics studying health and society in Asia and other countries of the Global South. 

    1. COVID-19 Implications in Bangladesh: Lessons for Inclusive Policy Transition, Debapriya Bhattacharya and Towfiqul Islam Khan; 2. Choices and Challenges in Assessing COVID-19 Impact on Disadvantaged Groups, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Sarah Sabin Khan and Towfiqul Islam Khan; 3. Macroeconomic Impact and Policy Implications, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Towfiqul Islam Khan and Mursalin Hossain Rabbi; 4. The Economic Impact of COVID-19 and Lockdowns on Disadvantaged Households in Bangladesh, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Estiaque Bari, Towfiqul Islam Khan, Fahim Subhan Chowdhury and Najeeba Mohammed Altaf; 5. Dealing with the Aftermath of COVID-19: Adjustments and Adaptation Efforts of the Apparel Workers in Bangladesh, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Towfiqul Islam Khan, Fahim Subhan Chowdhury and Afra Tahsin Chowdhury; 6. Household Level Adjustments in the Labour Market, Mustafizur Rahman, Towfiqul Islam Khan, Muntaseer Kamal, Marfia Alam, Md. Sabbir Hossain and Nawshin Nawar; 7. Approaches Adopted by Disadvantaged Groups to Cope with the Pandemic Fallout, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Towfiqul Islam Khan, Estiaque Bari and Afra Tahsin Chowdhury; 8. Vaccinations, Food Consumption and Access to Health Services, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Towfiqul Islam Khan, Estiaque Bari, Fabiha Bushra Khan and Faria Tahmeen Momo; 9. New Realities in the Education Sector Confronting the Disadvantaged Groups, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Najeeba Mohammed Altaf, Towfiqul Islam Khan and Estiaque Bari; 10. Assessing COVID-19 Impact on SDG Delivery in Bangladesh: Framework, Measurement, and Perspectives, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Fabiha Bushra Khan and Towfiqul Islam Khan; 11. Public Policy Responses and Options, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Towfiqul Islam Khan, Marfia Alam and Mursalin Hossain Rabbi; 12. Raising Delivery Effectiveness of Support Measures for Disadvantaged Households, Mustafizur Rahman, Towfiqul Islam Khan, Muntaseer Kamal, Marfia Alam, Md. Sabbir Hossain and Mostafa Amir Sabbih; 13. Data Initiatives for Evidence-based Policymaking, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Towfiqul Islam Khan, Muntaseer Kamal, Marfia Alam and Najeeba Mohammed Altaf; Index

    Biography

    Debapriya Bhattacharya is Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh; Member, United Nations Committee for Development Policy (UN-CDP) and  Convenor of the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh. He is also the Founding Chair of Southern Voice and former Ambassador of Bangladesh to the WTO and UN Offices in Geneva and Vienna.    

    Towfiqul Islam Khan is Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh. He is a member of the “SDG Task Team” of the Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Bangladesh.