Recent Trends in Global Development and Their Relevance for Development Studies in Bangladesh

Recent Trends in Global Development and Their Relevance for Development Studies in Bangladesh

23 May 2024

This Seminar provided an overview of selected global development trends and issues and their implications for Bangladesh especially with reference to development project formulation. The Discussion was divided into five sections. The first two sections looked into the global development trends and philosophies, and how Bangladesh has responded and attempted to reconcile to these global trends. The policy and philosophical basis of contemporary development trends in Bangladesh was then discussed with a view to providing a context for the subsequent section that offers some clues on ‘Development-minded’ Project Formulation by identifying and furnishing a menu of priority-areas of Development Project Formulation especially in the post pandemic (‘new normal’) context. These included rebuilding and strengthening the public health sector; reenergizing the education sector and preparing for the future pandemics; and informal economy, inflation and decent Employment.  Additionally, some cross-cutting agenda had also been suggested: climate sensitivity and disaster resilience; digitalization/ICT based development; more focus and projection on (to the extent possible, quantifiable) outcomes/results, evidence and return on investment (e.g. value for money); development work in humanitarian and conflict-zone contexts; inclusive governance and quality service delivery; respecting human rights for all and cultural diversity. In light of fulfilling constitutional fundamental rights, it was argued that culture would be a powerful driver for development, with community-wide social, economic and environmental impacts.