Syed Basher

With Covid-19 hitting the poorest hardest, we must help them recover

On May 23, 2020, The Economist magazine ran a story about the impact of Covid-19 on the poor people, with a title that anyone would have thought impossible just a few months ago: “Covid-19 is undoing years of progress in curbing global poverty.”

4y ago

Automation is not hurting RMG employment… yet

The readymade garments (RMG) industry is vital to Bangladesh economy. It contributes 84 percent of the total exports—nearly 13 percent of the GDP—and employs some four million workers.

4y ago

Taka policy in a changing world

It is still widely believed that depreciation of taka vis-à-vis foreign currencies—especially US dollar—will boost Bangladesh’s export earnings. This is true only if our exports are priced or invoiced in Bangladeshi taka. For example, if a shirt made in Bangladesh is invoiced at Tk 1,000, at an exchange rate of USD 1 = Tk 85, the shirt will cost USD 11.76 in the international market.

5y ago

Why do the best minds of public universities perform so poorly in research?

After I joined a leading private university in 2015, a question that puzzled me was why so many public university teachers are teaching at private universities.

5y ago

How to think about automation

Everyday, both in print and digital media, scary stories emerge about robots killing jobs.

6y ago

A global aging population and Bangladesh's economy

Many of the industrialised economies are going through an unprecedented demographic change called “population aging”.

6y ago

Why computers get cheaper and health care doesn't

This is the subtitle of a book by William Baumol, an American economist who died recently at age 95. The title of the book is The Cost Disease. In his book, Baumol made several interesting arguments that have significant implications for public welfare in Bangladesh.

7y ago

The puzzle of hiding data

Suppose a doctoral student at a US university is writing her dissertation on an economic issue of Bangladesh, and if the required data is available on a BBS website, she can conveniently access it. The net result is that Bangladesh can benefit from new scientific research financed by the US taxpayers' money.

7y ago
September 11, 2020
September 11, 2020

With Covid-19 hitting the poorest hardest, we must help them recover

On May 23, 2020, The Economist magazine ran a story about the impact of Covid-19 on the poor people, with a title that anyone would have thought impossible just a few months ago: “Covid-19 is undoing years of progress in curbing global poverty.”

June 25, 2020
June 25, 2020

Automation is not hurting RMG employment… yet

The readymade garments (RMG) industry is vital to Bangladesh economy. It contributes 84 percent of the total exports—nearly 13 percent of the GDP—and employs some four million workers.

August 8, 2019
August 8, 2019

Taka policy in a changing world

It is still widely believed that depreciation of taka vis-à-vis foreign currencies—especially US dollar—will boost Bangladesh’s export earnings. This is true only if our exports are priced or invoiced in Bangladeshi taka. For example, if a shirt made in Bangladesh is invoiced at Tk 1,000, at an exchange rate of USD 1 = Tk 85, the shirt will cost USD 11.76 in the international market.

July 23, 2019
July 23, 2019

Why do the best minds of public universities perform so poorly in research?

After I joined a leading private university in 2015, a question that puzzled me was why so many public university teachers are teaching at private universities.

June 7, 2018
June 7, 2018

How to think about automation

Everyday, both in print and digital media, scary stories emerge about robots killing jobs.

May 25, 2018
May 25, 2018

A global aging population and Bangladesh's economy

Many of the industrialised economies are going through an unprecedented demographic change called “population aging”.

August 13, 2017
August 13, 2017

Why computers get cheaper and health care doesn't

This is the subtitle of a book by William Baumol, an American economist who died recently at age 95. The title of the book is The Cost Disease. In his book, Baumol made several interesting arguments that have significant implications for public welfare in Bangladesh.

July 25, 2017
July 25, 2017

The puzzle of hiding data

Suppose a doctoral student at a US university is writing her dissertation on an economic issue of Bangladesh, and if the required data is available on a BBS website, she can conveniently access it. The net result is that Bangladesh can benefit from new scientific research financed by the US taxpayers' money.

June 13, 2017
June 13, 2017

What will Bangladesh look like in 50 years?

In a few years, Bangladesh will celebrate its 50 years of independence. When Bangladesh was born in 1971 as a new nation, there was