Agriculture and Rural Development Division

Research & Publication (R&P) Meeting

(December, 2004-November, 2005)

17 November, 2005

Summary of the report

Name of the member	Designation	Reporting status	Publication (No.)	Work completed (No.)	Work in progress (No.)	Seminar/ Workshop (No.)	Others (No.)
M Asaduzzaman	RD	Reported	0	6	5	5	7
Rushidan I. Rahman	RD	Reported	1	2	4	8	3
Sajjad Zohir*	SRF	Reported	3	3	3	18	7
Hossain Z. Rahman	SRF	On leave
Bimal Kumar Saha	RF	Reported	1	2	2	6	2
Mizanur Rahman	RF	Reported	0	1	3	0	0
Fahmida Akhter	RF	On leave
S.M.Zahedul Islam Chowdhury	RA	Reported	0	1	0	3	1
Total			5	15	17	40	20

*Division Chief

List of issues under study:

Crops, Livestock, Fisheries and Environment

Rural Energy

Micro credit

Challenges of MFIs

Micro enterprise Development

Rural Livelihood

Rural Non-firm activities

Micro finance

Food security

Disaster management and Safety net

PRSP-MDG linkages

Food Safety

Technological change and Surplus Utilization

Rural Electrification

Employment Generation

National budget 2005-06

Land and Agrarian Reform

Chronic poverty

Dr. M. Asaduzzaman

Research Director

1. Publication

None

2. Works completed

i) Corruption Perception Index: An Analysis of TI Methodology, a paper presented at a seminar on Corruption: Nature, Causes and Remedies sponsored by the Anti-Corruption Commission, May 29, 2005.

ii) Support to Agriculture: Why, How Much and How? Paper presented at the Seminar on National Budget for 2005-06 and PRSP, May 29, 2005 (revised).

iii) To School or Not: One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer, a paper presented at the Seminar on National Budget for 2005-06 and PRSP, May 29, 2005 (revised).

iv) Attaining MDG in Bangladesh: Issues and Perspectives, a paper presented at the Seminar on National Budget for 2005-06 and PRSP, May 29, 2005.

v) Energy for Rural Households: Towards a Rural Energy Strategy in Bangladesh, Final Report (with Abdul Latif), sponsored by the World Bank, July 2005.

vi) Formulation of the Bangladesh Action Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (NAPA): Livelihood Issues for Adaptation, Final Draft, sponsored by the UNDP and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, July 2005.

3. Work in progress

i) Updating of some of the previous works under BIDS-WTO project with undated GTAP model

ii) Contributing to the final NAPA document (already done my part, although the document still in progress)

iii) Integrating Environmental Considerations into Economic Planning Process – as part of Policy Studies

iv) A Snapshot of MDG at the Grass Roots Level – under Pilot 1 of SDNP – surveys in 6 areas completed; data analysis on-going

v) Stakeholder Consultation on Institutional and Partnership Issues in 9 Sea-facing Coastal Districts – stakeholder meetings completed, national workshop done, report writing in progress

Seminar/workshop

i) Attended Pakistan Society for Development Economics conference in Islamabad, January, 2005; delivered keynote lecture on regional integration – under publication

ii) Attended workshop of the Consultative Group of Experts of the UNFCCC in Shanghai, January 2005

iii) Attended workshop of the Consultative Group of Experts of the UNFCCC in Maputo, April 2005

iv) Prepared comments and presented in a workshop on IFAD’s Country Strategy for physical infrastructure development

v) Moderated the workshop for preparing project document for GEF funding on Sustainable Land Management for UNDP/GoB

Others

i) Coordinator, SANEI matters and BIDS representative to SANEI Steering Committee

ii) Rapporteur of the CGE of UNFCCC (as nominee of the Government)

iii) Set up Dinajpur centre of SDNP

iv) SDNP adds the following new information to its website: Plot to Plot Enumeration data for 1944-45, Bangladesh Gazett (from 1972-2004, partially done); bringing national Archives biblio under virtual library network; tracking Hong Kong Ministerial on WTO; tracking Montreal Ministerial on climate Change

v) Written article for Daily Star to be published under the title, “Energy Crisis! What Energy Crisis?” to be published in their Anniversary supplement

vi) Member, Steering Committee on NAPA under MoEF

vii) Member, Technical Committee on Climate Change for the Government’s “Comprehensive Disaster Management Project”

viii) Prepared the concept note for the upcoming workshop on Governance and Development in March/April 2006 (under revision)

Rushidan Islam Rahman

Research Director

Completed Research:

i) Economic Growth, Investment Pattern and Employment Generation: How to achieve Pro-poor Growth’.

ii) Vision for dynamism: Beyond the national budget 2005-06, The Daily Star, June, 2005.

Ongoing Research:

i) Researcher, Chronic Poverty study.

ii) Concept note on ‘Role of data in the context of monitoring MDG: Questions for review’.

iii) Coordinating a workshop on ‘Data sources for Monitoring MDG’ sponsored by World Bank Institute.

iv) ‘Children in Economic Activity in Bangladesh: Changes and determinants’. Research Report, final editing is being done.

Publications:

i) ‘Linkages between Employment, Economic Growth and Poverty: Case of Bangladesh’ (coauthor: K.M.N. Islam), in Employment and Poverty in South Asia, edited by R. Islam.

Seminar:

ii) ‘Unemployment, Industrialization and Labour Market in a Surplus labour Economy: The Case of Bangladesh’ paper presented at a seminar at the National Centre for Development Studies, Australian National University, March 30, 2005 Canberra, Australia.

iii) ‘Economic Growth, Investment Pattern and Employment Generation: How to achieve Pro-poor Growth’ Paper presented at special BIDS seminar on ‘National Budget for 2005-06 and PRSP’ Dhaka, May 29, 2005.

iv) Participant, Policy Workshop, on ‘Social Protection in PRS: Towards a Comprehensive Approach on Safety Net’, organized by Planning Commission and Power and Participation Research Centre, July 18, 2005, Dhaka.

v) Participant, Country Assistance Strategy: Consultations with Academics and Researchers, World Bank, July 12, 2005, Dhaka.

vi) Participant, Seminar on Participatory Poverty Assessment, sponsored by JICA, Dhaka, May 23, 2005.

vii) Participant, Expert Consultation on IRBD 2005 Concept Note, organized by CPD, May 4, 2005.

viii) Panelist, ‘Role of International Institutions to Promote Good Governance’ organized by Manusher Jonno, January 16-18, 2005, Dhaka.

ix) Participant, Consultation meeting on PRSP organized by National Poverty Focal Point, May 8, 2005, Dhaka.

Other Activities:

i) Editor, Research Report, BIDS.

ii) Member, Board of Trustees, Benevolent Fund of BIDS.

iii) Member of a Number of National Advisory Committees.

Sajjad Zohir

Senior Research Fellow

Completed Research

i) Strategy for Poverty Reduction in Bangladesh: Revisiting the Agenda.

ii) An Explanation of ‘Irrational’ Prices of Apartments in Dhaka City.

iii) On Recent Trends in Rural Economy.

Ongoing Research

i) Contributing to a book on microcredit.

ii) Guiding a group of young professionals on a study on exclusion.

iii) A study on alternative approaches to reach the hardcore poor.

Publications

Zohir, S. (forthcoming). "Asha Nirashar Pathe Grameen Arthaniti" (Rural Economy on its way of Hopes and despairs), Prothom Alo, anniversary issue, national daily newspaper in Bangladesh.

Zohir, S. (2005). "Dhaka Shaharer Basjoggo Flater Dame keno ei ajauktikota", (Why is there irrationality in the prices of apartments in Dhaka City?), submitted for publication in Dainik Sangbad, a national daily newspap