Zaidi Sattar

Fall of a titan: Looking for the economic tinderbox

Despite the youth-driven upheaval, the key drivers of the economy remain very much intact and ready to take the economy to new heights.

2m ago

What the budget means for Bangladesh’s trade policy direction

It is important to recognise that trade has been the handmaiden of Bangladesh’s development.

5m ago

Changing trade policy directions is imperative now

The forthcoming FY2024-25 national budget must show that we mean business.

5m ago

The real challenge is taming inflation fast

Inflation, which is the equivalent of a regressive tax on the poor, accentuates income inequality to make the situation worse.

10m ago

The passing of a self-professed accidental economist

That legacy has produced a bevy of outstanding economists over the past three decades. He lived a full life, steering through extraordinary times while leaving a chequered professional career behind. Yet, he once professed he was only an economist by accident.

1y ago

Coping with a perfect economic storm with IMF support

Bangladesh’s economy buckled, but it did not break. However, challenges remain.

1y ago

Akbar Ali Khan: A versatile scholar bureaucrat

Akbar Ali Khan is no more. His passing leaves a deep chasm in the intellectual firmament of Bangladesh.

2y ago

Fifty years of the evolution of trade policy in Bangladesh

The country celebrated the golden jubilee of independence this year, and there is indeed much to celebrate. Analysts of all shades of opinion have hailed the quality of social and economic progress achieved by the country which was, at inception,

3y ago
September 20, 2020
September 20, 2020

Geriatric infants in the industrial sector

I am not referring to human infants, who need society’s affection and complete care. The focus here is on “infant industries”, a jargon in trade economics for new firms and industries in the international marketplace.

September 5, 2020
September 5, 2020

Trade policy overhaul critical for post-pandemic recovery

The year 2020 will be recorded in history as the year when the world population lived dangerously—under the onslaught of an unknown killer virus that did not discriminate between rich or poor, developed or developing countries.

January 8, 2019
January 8, 2019

Why trade policy is inhibiting export diversification

Export diversification must be a formidable challenge: we have been talking about it for over two decades without nearing a solution,

July 1, 2018
July 1, 2018

The costs of industrial protection: who pays?

Protection to domestic industries has been an integral part of Bangladesh's economic policy since independence. This was one policy we inherited from Pakistan times without much thinking. In the 1970s there emerged an alternative path to industrialisation and growth – export-oriented industrialisation.

June 21, 2018
June 21, 2018

Making sense of trade policy directions in budget

Annual budgets are widely reported and its components hotly debated, as it usually provides insights on the direction of overall public policy that impinges on a broad spectrum of our lives and livelihoods.

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