The Bangladesh Quarterly Economic Update (QEU) has been produced by the Bangladesh Resident Mission of the Asian Development Bank since March 2001. The QEU provides information and analysis on Bangladesh's macroeconomic and sector developments, key development challenges, and policy and institutional reforms. It has wide readership in government, academia, development partners, private sector, and civil society.

This book brings together pioneering and evidence-based research that focuses on youth employment—one of the foremost development challenges of our time—and fills a critical research and knowledge gap alongside consolidating existing relevant literature. Comprehensive in scope, the book provides an overview of trends in youth employment in Bangladesh, empirically analyses the determinants of youth unemployment, covers relevant economic theory, and recommends policy measures for employment creation in Bangladesh. The new evidence from Bangladesh on the aforesaid issues will inform relevant and concurrent policy discourse, add value to related research in the field, and inspire future research. The insights gathered through this study will serve as an important lesson for other developing countries on what works and what does not in policy-making.

Bangladesh is navigating multi-faceted economic challenges. Russia’s war in Ukraine disrupted the strong economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and threatened macroeconomic stability. Continued global financial tightening, coupled with existing vulnerabilities, has challenged near-term macroeconomic management. On the back of import compression, the current account deficit narrowed considerably. Nevertheless, amid an unprecedented reversal of the financial account, the overall balance of payments has deteriorated, leading to a continuous decline in foreign exchange reserves. Recent developments have underscored the need to expedite long-standing structural reforms to put the economy on an inclusive and green growth path.

A technical assistance (TA) mission was conducted from May 19–27, 2024 to assist the Bangladesh Bank (BB) with the ongoing development of their Residential Property Price Index (RPPI). The mission completed the following tasks: (i) assisted with the practical implementation of improved methods for the development of an experimental RPPI for Dhaka, (ii) designed a quarterly report for the dissemination of the RPPI, along with an accompanying methods document, (iii) updated the workplan which outlines the next steps for the project, and (v) increased the capacity of staff on the recommended methods used for RPPI.

Women have experienced significant changes in various spheres of their lives during the last decades as Bangladesh made economic progress. Yet women’s economic engagement and empowerment are subdued, as they cannot make sufficient choices for themselves. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic developments in gender equality in Bangladesh. Through examining women’s participation in the labour force, ownership and control of household assets, use and control of financial assets, and opportunities for entrepreneurship, the authors have made concrete recommendations to overcome challenges that lie ahead for women’s economic empowerment. This book is an important contribution to the knowledge on interventions required by the policy makers and broader stakeholders towards narrowing gender gaps. --Fahmida Khatun, PhD, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh The women’s story is central to Bangladesh’s economic and social transformation. There is an urgent need to deepen researched understanding of the multidimensional pathways of women’s economic empowerment and extent of real progress made. Voices to Choices is an important contribution to this story. Surely, the journey of women’s economic empowerment remains a long and challenging one. Realizing the full benefits of new opportunities is often hampered by both new and entrenched insecurities. The task is as much one of empowering women’s agency as of dismantling barriers. The responsibility is as much women’s as society’s. --Hossain Zillur Rahman, PhD, Executive Chairman, Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) This book provides critical insights and is timely, as it outlines how girls and women in Bangladesh have gained more opportunities in labor force participation, control over household and financial assets, as well as greater prospects for entrepreneurship. The findings will greatly contribute to future policy and planning for government and key stakeholders working to advance women’s economic empowerment in the country. --Sabina Faiz Rashid, PhD, Dean and Professor, BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health BRAC University

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, known as Bangabandhu by his followers/countrymen, is the most prominent political figure in the emergence of Bangladesh. Bangabandhu transcended his contemporaries and even his political mentors considering the impact he had on the creation of the new nation-state. This book presents a comprehensive overview of the leadership and legacy of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib in the framing of modern Bangladesh. It discusses themes like the formation of Bangladesh; the Bengali nationalist movement; Bangabandhu and his political socialization; Bangabandhu’s political and administrative philosophy and his economic and developmental thoughts. Topical and lucid, this book is a must-read for scholars and researchers of Political Science, South Asian Politics, South Asian History, Political Leadership, Political Sociology and also for the Bangladeshi diaspora.

The global financial crisis of recent years and the associated large fiscal deficits and debt levels that have impacted many countries underscores the importance of reliable and timely government statistics and, more broadly, public sector debt as a critical element in countries fiscal and external sustainability. Public Sector Debt Statistics is the first international guide of its kind, and its primary objectives are to improve the quality and timeliness of key debt statistics and promote a convergence of recording practices to foster international comparability and as a reference for national compilers and users for compiling and disseminating these data. Like other statistical guides published by the IMF, this one was prepared in consultation with countries and international agencies, including the nine organizations of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Finance Statistics (TFFS). The guide's preparation was based on the broad range of experience of our institutions and benefitted from consultation with national compilers of government finance and public sector debt statistics. The guide's concepts are harmonized with those of the System of National Accounts (2008) and the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Sixth Edition.