Economic Recovery and Resilience at the Sub-National Level in Bangladesh: During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Project Name: ‘ Economic Recovery and Resilience at the Sub-National Level in Bangladesh: During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic’

Project Partner: Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)

Project Timeline: August 2023- March 2024

About the Project:

The economic slowdown resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the business sector in Bangladesh, particularly in rural areas where small-scale entrepreneurship is prominent. Additionally, local government operations during the pandemic were critiqued for service delivery and humanitarian aid. However, in the post-Covid era, the private sector exhibited remarkable resilience and adaptability, identifying new opportunities and adjusting business models to align with evolving market conditions. 

In an effort to enhance economic resilience within Bangladesh's private sector, the Centre for Governance Studies, in collaboration with the Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), has embarked on a project titled ' Economic Recovery and Resilience at the Sub-National Level in Bangladesh: During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic' involving the engagement of government bodies to facilitate its implementation. This project is committed to a thorough examination of the immediate post-Covid actions taken by local business groups, aiming to identify their challenges and gather insights from local and national governing bodies. Ultimately, the project seeks to provide policy recommendations to support the sustainable economic recovery of the private sector in rural Bangladesh. Key project activities encompass focus group discussions, in-depth case studies of successful business recovery stories, policy paper development based on findings from focus group discussions and case studies, and the publication of a final report summarizing the project's comprehensive activities and outcomes.