BIDS IT Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies
Show navigation Hide navigation
BIDS
Premier multi-disciplinary autonomous public research organization

A Reassessment of Bangladesh's Poverty Record, 1974-1984

Nuimuddin Chowdhury

 

Abstract

This paper argues that Bangladesh poverty record during 1974-1984, as recently revised by S.R. Osmani and A.R. Khan, has notably positive, if not overly optimistic, aspects, which do not quite show up in their presentations. The key contentions of this paper are (a) to show that the Osmani-Khan deduction of rising poverty from the behaviour of foodgrain availability and real rice prices is logically deficient, (b) to show that contrary to their claims, real wages almost certainly did rise in the period under review, and (c) that similarly, their conclusions about the stagnation of real rice prices are based on questionable methodology.

More Volume

 

Back to top