Programs In Bangladesh Research Articles

Geographical variation, socioeconomic inequalities of low birth weight, and its relationship with maternal dietary diversity: Insights from the maternal infant and young child nutrition programme in Bangladesh.

Globally, every year, 20 million neonates are born with weights below 2500 g and are considered low birth weight (LBW). About 90% of these births occur in low- and middle-income countries. Information regarding the geographical variation, socioeconomic inequalities of LBW neonates, and the relationship between maternal inadequate dietary diversity and LBW is limited in rural areas of Bangladesh. We aimed to explore the geographical disparities and socioeconomic inequalities in the prevalence of LBW and its association with inadequate maternal dietary diversity. We extracted data from a large-scale evaluation programme conducted as a part of the maternal infant and young child nutrition phase two in Bangladesh, implemented by BRAC. We used the concentration index (CIX) to measure the socioeconomic inequalities of LBW. We performed a cluster-adjusted multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the association between LBW and maternal dietary diversity. A total of 4651 children aged <5 years with their mother's information were included. The overall prevalence of LBW was 13.5%. About 16% of mothers living in the poorest wealth quintile gave birth to LBW babies, whereas 10% of mothers living in the richest households gave birth to LBW babies. The CIX exhibited LBW babies were more prevalent among the socioeconomically worst-off (poorest) group (CIX = -0.08), indicating mothers of the poorest households are vulnerable to giving birth to normal-weight babies. An adjusted multiple logistic regression model indicated that mothers with inadequate dietary diversity had higher odds (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04, 1.54) of giving birth to LBW babies. Notably, in the interaction of mothers' age and dietary diversity, we found that adolescent mothers (aged ≤ 19 years) with inadequate dietary diversity had 2.56 times (AOR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.14, 5.76) higher odds of giving birth to LBW babies compared to adult mothers (aged >19 years) who consumed diversified foods. Intervention strategies for reducing LBW prevalence should target the poorest households. Also, interventions for improving the dietary diversity of adolescent pregnant mothers are expected to reduce the number of LBW babies from the rural areas of Bangladesh.

Discriminating Factors of Formal and Informal Micro-Credits Programs in Bangladesh: An Efficiency Approach

Purpose: The study aims to identify the factors influencing the choice of formal and informal micro- credits programs in poverty alleviation of Bangladesh especially in Haor area. Methodology: The study has covered a total of 2340 households’ respondents where 1560 actual microcredit users and 780 eligible micro-credit users while they did not use micro-credits as control (50% of the cases) group for comparison purpose. The characteristics of control households are almost similar to the cases (micro-credits recipient) households. Total survey area has been divided into thirty clusters and the survey was made with a structured questionnaire to measure the impact on poverty of both types of credits and find out the dimensions of discrimination. The group means, pooled group correlation matrix, covariates for discrimination, and validation of two-group discriminant finally Fisher’s linear discriminant function were used to reach in the conclusion. Findings: The study identified that the installment types are the most important predictors in discriminating between formal and informal micro-credits groups, followed by duration of loan, interest rate, gender of loan receivers, earning status of loan receivers, and regular income source in the households and so on and this is also confirmed by cross-validation analysis. Fisher’s linear discriminant function forecasted that the new member with discriminant scores above 0.44 supposed to borrow from the informal sources however the members having below of the score will borrow from formal sources. Practical Implications: The lenders will be able to design effective micro-credit programs considering the needs of the users. Originality/Value: The research is the first attempt to identify the discriminating factors between formal and informal micro-credits with large volume of solid primary data. Limitations: The study did not make any in-depth-interview regarding the issue.

Understanding the socio-demographic and programmatic factors associated with adolescent motherhood and its association with child undernutrition in Bangladesh

BackgroundWorldwide, a significant number of girls become mothers during adolescence. In Bangladesh, adolescent childbirth is highly prevalent and has adverse effects on children’s health and undernutrition. We aimed to identify the relationship between the undernutrition of children and adolescent motherhood, the factors associated with adolescent mothers’ age at first birth, and to examine the programmatic factors and gaps influencing children’s undernutrition in Bangladesh.MethodsWe analysed the ‘Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey’ BDHS-17-18 data and desk review. To examine the factors associated with adolescent motherhood and its impact on child undernutrition, data from 7,643 mother-child pairs were selected. Child stunting, wasting, and underweight were measured according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) median growth guidelines based on z-scores − 2. Univariate, bivariate, simple, and multiple logistic regressions were used for analyse. We followed the systematic procedures for the literature review.ResultsApproximately, 89% of adolescents aged ≤ 19 years were married and 71% of them gave their first childbirth. Children of adolescent mothers (≤ 19 years) were significantly 1.68 times more wasted (aOR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.64), 1.37 times more underweight (aOR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.86) and either form 1.32 times more stunting, wasting or underweight (aOR:1.32; 95% Cl: 1.05 to 1.66) compared to the children of adult mothers (> 19 years) after adjusting potential confounders. The factors associated with mothers’ first childbirth during adolescence were the age gap between husband and wife 5–10 years (aOR: 1.81; 95% Cl: 1.57–2.10) and age gap > 10 years (aOR: 2.41; 95% Cl: 1.96–2.97) compared with the age group < 5 years, and husbands’ education (aOR: 1.29; 95% Cl: 1.04–1.61) compared with the uneducated husbands. In the literature review, we found potential gaps in focusing on the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) program in Bangladesh, from thirty-two programmes only half of them focused on adolescents aged 10–19 years, and eleven programmes focused only on girls.ConclusionChildren of adolescent mothers are at risk of wasting, underweight, and any form of undernutrition. For effective policies and interventions in Bangladesh, it is important to emphasise delaying adolescent pregnancy and prioritising child undernutrition.

Integrating E-learning into Medical Education – Phase-I of MBBS Programme in Bangladesh: Prospects and Challenges for the Students, Instructors and Policy Makers

Over the past few decades, there has been a shift in medical education from the traditional didactic model of instruction to other modalities like online or electronic learning (e-learning). E-learning is being increasingly utilized in medical education across the globe through adaptive tutorials, audiovisual clips, simulation, and virtual models/atlas. This review aims to identify the prospects and challenges of integration of e-learning into Phase-I of MBBS Programme in Bangladesh and discuss solutions from medical educators’ perspectives. Elearning has been demonstrated to be as effective as conventional teaching and learning. It allows more personalized, self-directed learning experience for the medical students. Instructors can evaluate competencies objectively through online assessments, provide personalized feedback for self-improvement to the students. For policy makers, e-learning could hold the key to success in delivering quality medical education even in those medical colleges established in the remote semi-urban areas addressing the nation’s most entrenched medical teacher vacancies especially in basic subject areas like anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. Challenges that affect the development and implementation of e-learning in medical education include lack of time and efforts, low technical skills, resource-poor infrastructure, lack of institutional strategies and support and stakeholders' negative attitude towards e-learning. Solutions to those problems may include training for professional development of the faculties with improvement of technical skills, incentives for the time and efforts in development and delivery of online content, favorable digital and tech-friendly institutional strategies and growing positive attitude towards online medical education, and above all, political commitment to ensure quality medical education. CBMJ 2024 July: vol. 13 no. 02 P: 290-297

Inequalities in large-scale breastfeeding programmes in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Vietnam.

Inequalities in breastfeeding programmes and practices have slowed global progress in providing the life-saving protection of breastfeeding for millions of infants despite well-known life-long impacts. As breastfeeding interventions are scaled up, inequalities in coverage and breastfeeding practices should be tracked, particularly in disadvantaged groups, who are likely to suffer the most serious health and developmental impacts of poor childhood nutrition. The literature provides evidence of inequalities in breastfeeding practices, but research is limited on socioeconomic disparities in the coverage of breastfeeding interventions. This paper (1) compares inequalities in breastfeeding practices in intervention and nonintervention areas and (2) documents inequalities in programme coverage by type of intervention. We disaggregated endline evaluation surveys in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Vietnam, where rigorous evaluations had documented significant overall improvements, and analysed whether inequalities in breastfeeding practices and programme coverage differed by treatment areas. We used Erreygers index to quantify inequalities and found that breastfeeding practices were largely pro-poor; intervention coverage was not consistently pro-poor. While counselling coverage often favoured women from the poorest quintile, public education/media coverage consistently favoured better-off women. Inequalities favoured more educated mothers in the coverage of combined interventions. None of the programmes had explicit equality objectives. The results indicate the need for introducing specific actions to reduce inequalities in breastfeeding policies and programmes. This is a priority unfinished agenda for nutrition programming.

Unveiling the professional identity construction of in-service university English language teachers: Evidence from Bangladesh

This study aims to investigate the construction of professional identity among Bangladeshi university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and its influence on classroom performance. Employing a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. Interviews were conducted with two Bangladeshi university teachers who have significant experience in EFL teaching. The interview questions were designed based on the language teachers’ identity formation model, focusing on factors relevant to foundational competences. Content analysis was employed to analyze the collected data and identify emergent themes. The findings indicate that proficiency in language skills, contextual knowledge, self-awareness, disciplinary knowledge, and classroom management skills play pivotal roles in reshaping the professional identities of Bangladeshi university EFL teachers. Classroom observations revealed the strategies employed by these teachers in language use, pedagogical approaches, and classroom management to construct their professional identities. Despite aspirations to conduct classes solely in English, teachers often resorted to using the students' mother tongue for better comprehension. Based on these findings, the study suggests a focus on diverse teacher education programs in Bangladesh to produce more proficient teachers.

PARENTAL PERSPECTIVES ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN BANGLADESH

This study used a phenomenological qualitative approach to explore the intricate landscape of early childhood education in Bangladesh, focusing on the perspective of parents. The study involves 47 people from three different cities, using in-depth interviews to discover a diverse range of experiences. The application of thematic analysis uncovers six fundamental themes that encompass the various aspects of parental perspectives. The themes encompassed in this study consist of prioritizing holistic development, cultural values and educational aspirations, socio-economic challenges and access barriers, positive perception of early intervention, desire for communication and collaboration with educators, and the need to balance tradition and innovation in education. Through an examination of these issues, the study not only sheds light on the complex nature of parental attitudes but also offers crucial insights for the development of policies and the creation of early childhood education Programs in Bangladesh. The results emphasize the significance of considering cultural, economic, and educational subtleties to develop comprehensive and efficient solutions that align with the varied parental perspectives throughout various regions of Bangladesh.

Challenges and opportunities of English as the medium of instruction in diploma midwifery programs in Bangladesh: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundEnglish is generally recognized as the international language of science and most research on evidence-based medicine is produced in English. While Bangla is the dominant language in Bangladesh, public midwifery degree programs use English as the medium of instruction (EMI). This enables faculty and student access to the latest evidence-based midwifery content, which is essential for provision of quality care later. Yet, it also poses a barrier, as limited English mastery among students and faculty limits both teaching and learning.MethodsThis mixed-methods study investigates the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of EMI in the context of diploma midwifery education in Bangladesh. Surveys were sent to principals at 38 public midwifery education institutions, and 14 English instructors at those schools. Additionally, ten key informant interviews were held with select knowledgeable stakeholders with key themes identified.ResultsSurveys found that English instructors are primarily guest lecturers, trained in general or business English, without a standardized curriculum or functional English language laboratories. Three themes were identified in the key informant interviews. First, in addition to students’ challenges with English, faculty mastery of English presented challenges as well. Second, language labs were poorly maintained, often non-functional, and lacked faculty. Third, an alternative education model, such as the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) curriculum, has potential to strengthen English competencies within midwifery schools.ConclusionsESP, which teaches English for application in a specific discipline, is one option available in Bangladesh for midwifery education. Native language instruction and the middle ground of multilingualism are also useful options. Although a major undertaking, investing in an ESP model and translation of technical midwifery content into relevant mother tongues may provide faster and more complete learning. In addition, a tiered system of requirements for English competencies tied to higher levels of midwifery education could build bridges to students to help them access global evidence-based care resources. Higher levels might emphasize English more heavily, while the diploma level would follow a multilingualism approach, teach using an ESP curriculum, and have complementary emphasis on the mother tongue.

Improving academic writing skill: Difficulties encountered by undergraduates of English studies in Bangladesh

Bangladeshi students of English programs encounter some barriers in their attempt to develop academic writing skill at undergraduate level. The majority of the students who study in English programs in Bangladesh receive their primary and secondary schooling in the instruction medium of Bangla, while a few percent in English medium and English version instructions. Testing and assessment in English studies predominantly focuses on academic writing skill and many students cut a sorry figure in formative and summative assessments in the very first semester due to poor writing competence. This study examined two issues: the difficulties that Bangladeshi undergraduates of English studies confront while developing academic writing skill, and the ways to develop L2 English writing skill. Participants of this study were 6 students studying English in different Bangladeshi universities and 3 English teachers who were teaching at tertiary level. Data collection tools were composition writing samples on a selected topic for undergraduates and a semi-structured interview schedule for teachers. Results indicated that poor grammatical competence and brainstorming skill, insufficient vocabulary, inadequate knowledge of mechanics and writing style, and mother tongue interference were the major barriers that Bangladeshi undergraduates of English studies frequently faced while writing in English.

Japanese investment for skills development program in attaining sustainable employability: The case of Bangladesh

Bangladesh lacks many trained workers. The existing technical training curriculums are not advanced enough to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target for human capital development. Therefore, it is a time demand to address the need for skilled human resources. Japan prioritizes Bangladesh's skills development sector to assist the nation in achieving SDGs and importing skilled labor forces into Japan's already declined labor market. This research focuses on the prospects and challenges of Japanese investments in skills development projects in Bangladesh. To this end, this research adopts a need-based approach to prepare a uniform framework for skills development in Bangladesh and finds several challenges in the process of skills development programs that influence the development partners. This study employs a mixed-method research approach. This study finds that the trainees consider the skills development programs significant for their future careers and sustainable employability, although they face various challenges, such as a lack of qualified instructors and training programs and lack of training equipment apart from their lower socio-economic backgrounds. This study especially highlights the significance of Japanese investment in skills development programs in Bangladesh to meet human capital development requirements and develop a framework for sustainable accomplishment of those programs to achieve the SDGs. Finally, this research makes some policy recommendations for relevant stakeholders, including development partners engaged in skills development programs in Bangladesh.

Correlation of VIA Positive Cases with Colposcopic and Histopathological Findings in Diagnosis of Precancerous Lesion of Cervix in A Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Cervical cancer prevention strategies are evolving by integrating new screening modalities such as human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). Colposcopy, as a diagnostic tool, plays a crucial role in the management of abnormal cytology smears, especially in developed countries. However, its utilization and efficacy in resource-limited settings like Bangladesh remain underexplored. Objective: This study aimed to assess the correlation between VIA positivity and colposcopic/histopathological findings in diagnosing precancerous cervical lesions among women in Bangladesh. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 women aged 30-60 attending the Gynecology OPD of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. VIA positivity was determined, and all positive cases underwent colposcopic evaluation. Histopathological examination was performed for tissue samples obtained during colposcopy. Result: Among the participants, 21% were VIA-positive. Colposcopic evaluation revealed inflammation (26.2%), CIN I (38.1%), CIN II (11.1%), CIN III (9.5%), and invasive carcinoma (9.5%). Histopathology findings included inflammation (28.6%), CIN I (40.5%), CIN II (7.1%), and invasive carcinoma (16.7%). True positive and false positive cases were identified, with percentages calculated accordingly. Conclusion: Detailed colposcopic evaluation with guided biopsy is crucial for detecting pre-invasive and early cervical cancer. Integrating colposcopy into screening programs in Bangladesh could significantly reduce morbidity and mortality among young women.

Promoting the itemized educational spending of rural coastal households in Bangladesh through unconditional cash and food assistance

AbstractThe vulnerable households in the rural coastal regions of Bangladesh have been suffering from chronic poverty because of a lack of resources to invest in the human capital development, such as education and training. The unconditional cash and food (UCF) assistance programs in Bangladesh have been designed to combat chronic poverty. This study examines the impact of the UCF assistance receipt on the itemized educational spending: the total spending on education, school tiffin, educational stationery, uniforms, admission fees, examinations, textbooks, education-related Internet, and education-related transportation by the households. A Fuzzy regression discontinuity design (RDD) is used as an identification strategy, in which the assignment variable is the land ownership by the households. The RDD method is based on the idea that the households just below and above the cutoff of the assignment variable are locally randomized, therefore free from any selection bias. The results consistently show that the UCF assistance increases the spending on all educational items, except for textbooks and education-related transportation. This study suggests that the UCF assistance can be used as a policy tool to accelerate the sustainable development goal of inclusive quality education for rural coastal areas by increasing the itemized spending on education.

Effect of the Social Safety Net on Child Labor and School Retention in Bangladesh: Empirical Evidence from Hies 2016

ABSTRACT: In Bangladesh Social Safety Net (SSN) interventions are intended to achieve specific goals, e.g., reduction in poverty, decrease in early school dropout, and nutrition supplementation. This study investigates the effectiveness of SSN participation on less explored goals of child labor reduction and school retention in Bangladesh. Empirical evidence is provided to evaluate the success of existing programs to combat child labor and early school dropout. This study utilizes the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), 2016 of Bangladesh. We employ the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) framework to show the causal relationship between SSN participation and its impact on the use of child labor and school retention. Given the nature and availability of data, the matching method provides us an estimate of the impact of SSN based on a quasi-experimental setting. We estimate counterfactuals based on observed characteristics of the household that affect both SSN participation and our outcome variables. Our results suggest that households that receive SSN tend to employ less child labor domestic or paid compared to their counterparts. Our Propensity Score Matching (PSM) results show that SSN participation reduces child labor prevalence in Bangladesh by 2.4% to 2.9%. This is an indication that families essentially substitute SSN income with child labor earnings. Thus, SSN programs in Bangladesh are effective in reducing child labor though the magnitude is not overwhelming. On the contrary, our results show that children from SSN-participating families have a higher incidence of early school dropout. This may be due to inefficiency or poorly designed programs that effectively keep the children in school. We estimate early school dropout is higher by 3.6% to 6.6% for households that receive SSN compared to the control group. Our findings are important for policymakers to redesign the programs that retain children in school. We suggest targeted interventions that will help to keep these children in school, which is conducive to human capital accrual and increasing lifetime earnings. Additionally, our insights will assist policymakers in rethinking SSN coverage, efficient selection of beneficiaries, and initiation of the correct intervention.

Data-driven review on gender and rice varietal trait preferences in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, farmers adapt to changing conditions through the adoption of improved varieties containing new or combined traits. The diverse varietal adoption decisions among farmers stem from gender-based differences in trait preferences. This review synthesizes existing knowledge to assess the nature, extent, and causes of gendered disparities in rice varietal trait preferences among farmers and consumers in Bangladesh. To enhance the data-driven nature of this review, we not only scrutinized secondary articles (45 documents) and databases but also incorporated and analyzed primary data on varietal adoption and trait preferences. The analysis revealed a pronounced need for rice breeding programs in Bangladesh to integrate both market and climate-smart traits, aligning with gender-specific needs in developing optimal rice product profiles. Analysis of primary data unveiled substantial variations in women and men farmers’ varietal trait preferences, influenced by factors like income, access to farming information, household size, land size, and decision-making. Consequently, addressing gender-differentiated trait preferences in the development of improved rice varieties is crucial to curtail farmers’ varietal adoption lag in Bangladesh. The findings underscore the necessity of systematic identification and integration of gender-differentiated varietal trait preferences into rice breeding programs. Failure to account for such preferences may disadvantage the gender-responsiveness of developed varieties and limit the anticipated impact. Therefore, understanding the biophysical, social, and cultural dynamics of diverse farmer groups from a gender perspective is imperative for achieving gender-responsive rice variety development in the context of Bangladesh. This process involves identifying key gender concerns for integration into rice breeding programs, ensuring a comprehensive approach to sustainable agriculture.

Resilience of Social Transfer Programs to Large Unexpected Shocks

Large, unexpected shocks are becoming more frequent, making the design of robust social transfer programs more vital than ever. We evaluate the performance of the Food Friendly Program (FFP), the largest in-kind social transfer program in Bangladesh, before and during the nation-wide COVID-19 lockdown. Using two-rounds of nationally representative household surveys combined with administrative data, we document that high leakages and large welfare losses are related to corruption. This contrasts with the performance of the pre-lockdown FFP, when leakage was low and coverage high. We then compare the performance of the FFP with two initiatives launched following the pandemic: an in-kind and cash transfer program, respectively. These programs have markedly higher levels of leakage than the FFP. Our findings are relevant to other large shocks, such as those caused by climate change, and have important policy implications for the design and delivery of transfer programs in developing countries characterized by institutional weaknesses.

Reimagining gendered community interventions: the case of family planning programs in rural Bangladesh

Family planning programs in Bangladesh have been successfully operating for over half a century, achieving phenomenal reductions in fertility rates. Acknowledging restrictions on women’s freedoms, much of the initial program design was concentrated on giving household supplies for women priority. However, one unfortunate impact of these outreach services is that, by bypassing the opportunity to challenge patriarchal attitudes directly, they inadvertently reinforce the power relationships of the status quo. Hence, we problematise the decision-making structures within Bangladesh’s family planning programs. We argue that the fundamental flaw with Bangladesh’s family planning program is the lack of conscious effort to understand women’s health choices and decision-making as a complex contextual process of relational, structural, and institutional forces. Additionally, avoiding men in these programs often creates new dependencies for women, as this approach does not directly seek to build relational bridges based on equality between genders. As a result, many women still depend on permission from their husbands and family for reproductive health services and face constrained family planning choices and access to care. We recommend that family planning programs adopt a broader vision to create new and more sustainable possibilities in an ever-evolving social relations landscape where gender is constantly negotiated. Such strategies are even more pressing in the post-Covid world, as national systems are exposed to uncertainty and ambiguity.

Implementing Outcome Based Education (OBE) in Textile Engineering Undergraduate Program in Bangladesh

Outcome-based education (OBE), is considered as quality-based education, is an academic concept that includes all the areas of an educational system around goals or results. It has become the necessity of the global academic system at present. Outcome-based education ensures the student and teachers knowledge exchange. It will also satisfy the requirements of the stakeholders during job placement. The employers can easily choose the graduates based on the graduate attributes after the end of their four years engineering study period. It is evident that inclusion of Outcome-based education will have a positive impact on the graduates after their four years of study period that can be applied for the stakeholders. In this paper it was tried to assist the faculty members to prepare themselves for the OBE based education for the department of textile engineering of different universities in Bangladesh.

Effectiveness of Technical Training Program of the Bangladesh Government Towards Employability in the Job Market

Technical training programs are one of the crucial components to enhance the employability in Bangladesh job market by integrating in-hand experience to ameliorate qualified manpower. The major objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of government technical training programs and their impact on employability in the job market. The study was designed following a mixed method approach where 240 participants responded to the survey questionnaire based on purposive sampling along with a semi-structured interview of 10 participants and 2 KII from different Skills for Employment Investment Program (SEIP) training programs. The study revealed that the technical training programs in Bangladesh have sluggish growth in integrating the skilled labor force in the market. Based on the results of the chi-square test (p &lt;0.05), the study found association between the participants’ gender and their capacity to obtain employment after completing the technical training program.Based on correlation (p &lt;0.05), there is a significant difference between educational qualification and level of satisfaction. Ordinal logistic regression indicates that, the odds (.004) of engagement in technical training course are 99.6% less when participants have a very low level of satisfaction. The study found that this program helps to create employment opportunities.Participants pointed out major obstacles including lack of workshop and lab facilities (84%), inadequate market orientation (71%), inadequate qualified trainers (72.5%), and poor monitoring mechanism (67%) regarding the efficacy of the programs. The findings serve as an important roadmap for the general public, technical institutions, NGOs, government authorities, local administrators and policymakers to enhance the supply of skilled manpower in the national economy.

Direct transfer policies for the poor

We discuss various anti-poverty policies which involve direct transfer policies for the poor, focusing on their different dimensions—namely the size and time sequence of the transfers, whether it is cash or in kind, any conditionality involved, whether they are means-tested. We argue that their pros and cons depend on what is the underlying aspect of poverty that the policy is aiming to address, namely what is the cause of it, what is the time horizon, what is the social objective, and what, if any, limitations on state capacity might be present. We illustrate the issues involved by discussing two transfer policies in detail, a rural asset transfer programme in Bangladesh and a hypothetical universal income support programme in India—and highlight the dual nature of such policies as both redistributive and potentially productive investments. We conclude by discussing the potential complementarities between different types of anti-poverty policies.

Determinants of academic major choice: a comparative study of business programs in Bangladesh

This paper aims to examine the determinants influencing students' choices of academic majors, with a specific focus on business programs at private universities in Bangladesh. It evaluates the relative impact of various factors including subject interest, perceived prestige of the major, faculty reputation, earning potential, and availability of the major. Additionally, this study seeks to analyze how these determinants align with broader socio-economic and institutional contexts. Employing a hybrid analytics method, the study utilizes both quantitative analysis and factor analysis techniques. A dataset of 276 students from three private universities in Bangladesh was surveyed using a structured questionnaire based on a Likert scale. This data was collected over a period that reflects the current trends and perceptions among students regarding their choice of academic majors. The main findings of the study demonstrate that (i) intrinsic interest in the subject significantly influences major choice, (ii) perceptions of economic outcomes associated with the profession, such as earning potential, play a crucial role, and finally, (iii) institutional factors like faculty reputation and the prestige of the major also significantly impact students' decisions. These findings underscore the complexity of factors that students consider when choosing their academic majors, highlighting the interplay between personal interests, economic considerations, and institutional attributes.