https://doi.org/10.57138/QAPG4918 Date of PublicationJune 2022 Keywords JEL Classification Code Recommended Citation Islam, S. N. (2021). Towards the Epic Story of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Deveopment Studies, BIDS. DOI: 10.57138/QAPG4918 Corresponding Author(s)                                            S. Nazrul Islam

Despite the presence of the informal sector in developing countries around the globe as a source of livelihood for a disproportionately large number of households, a myriad of problems often held back the enterprises in the sector. Among these problems, meagre access to financial services is the most disabling, as access to other enabling conditions often hinges on access to finance. This paper examines, drawing inputs from a sample survey, the issues related to the financial accessibility of the urban informal enterprises in Assam. Furthermore, the paper looks at the economic contributions of these enterprises in terms of gross value added, using a customized financial access index and logistic and linear regressions. Analysis shows that enterprises with registration have better access to financial services. The economic contribution of the sample enterprises is not significantly related to the extent of their access to financial services.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.57138/JWCX7919 Date of PublicationJune 2022 Keywords Financial Access Index, Unorganised Sector Enterprise, Gross Value Added, Financial Inclusion JEL Classificatin Code G14, G24, L25, L26 Recommended Citation Baruah, P. B. "Impacts of Financial Access of Urban Informal Enterprises: Evidence from Assam of Northeast India". The Bangladesh Development Studies, 42(1/2). 129-150. DOI: 10.57138/JWCX7919 Corresponding Author(s)                                            Prasenjit Bujar Baruah

This paper investigates the coping processes of Bangladeshi peasants after the disaster of Cyclone Aila in 2009. The focus is on the experience of peasants and how they respond to the losses caused by the cyclone. Using 72 in-depth interviews with peasants, shrimp farmers, local leaders, labour contractors, engineers and NGO staff, and surveys of 850 households, this paper analyses the aftermath of Cyclone Aila in two villages in the Satkhira district located in the Sundarbans delta of Bangladesh. One of the villages, Gorkumarpur, was economically backward and poorer than Mollapara village because of its vulnerable geographical location and damaged embankments. By illustrating resilience as the function of coping with vulnerabilities, this paper finds that the peasants can cope with this natural calamity by taking up a range of casual jobs, such as earthwork and brick kiln, to improve their lives and livelihoods. Such casual employment is essential after the initial relief initiatives ended, which shows the ability of the local peasants to protect their family’s survival and secure livelihoods.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.57138/JURL7372 Date of PublicationJune 2022 Keywords Casualisation of Labour, Resilience, Vulnerability, Cyclone Aila, Adaptation, Coping, Sundarbans JEL Classificatin Code Q54, O13, J61 Recommended Citation Bhuyan, M. H. R.Casualisation of Labour as Coping with Cyclone Aila: Peasants' Perception in the Sundarbans Area of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Development Studies, 42(1/2). 77-128. DOI: 10.57138/JURL7372 Corresponding Author(s)                                             Mohammad Harunur Rashid Bhuyan

This paper assesses the determinants of access to agricultural information through mobile phones and examines its impact on welfare using two rounds of household panel data. A control function approach with correlated random effects has been used in this analysis to control possible endogeneity of access to agricultural information. The empirical results show that access to agri-cultural information through mobile phones is positively correlated with yield, asset holdings, and own rice consumption. We disaggregate results by climate-risk vulnerable groups to explore whether the impact of access to information has heterogeneous effects. The results reveal that access to agricultural information through mobile phones strongly impacts climate-risk vulnerable households. Overall, increasing access to agricultural information through mobile phones is critical for food security, especially for smallholder farmers who live in climatically stress-prone areas. DOI: https://doi.org/10.57138/BPFN6420 Date of PublicationJune 2022 Keywords Agricultural Information, Climate Risks, Mobile Phones, Food Security, Bangladesh JEL Classificatin Code C23, D83, O33, Q12, Q15 Recommended Citation Khanam, T. S. Agricultural Information through Mobile Phone: Evidence on Farm Household Welfare in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Development Studies, 42(1/2). 59-76. DOI: 10.57138/BPFN6420 Corresponding Author(s)                                             Taznoore Samina Khanam

Although Bangladesh has achieved remarkable economic growth and improved various health indicators, childhood malnutrition still is a big concern in improving child health in Bangladesh. This paper explores the prevalence and trends of severe acute malnutrition, moderate acute malnutrition and global acute malnutrition, as well as their socio-demographic factors and socio-economic differentials using the last seven rounds (1996-97, 1999-2000, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014 and 2017-18) of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey. Results show that the prevalence of all severe acute malnutrition, moderate acute malnutrition and global acute malnutrition has declined from 1996-97 to 2017-18 in Bangladesh: severe acute malnutrition from 6.8 per cent to 1.5 per cent; moderate acute malnutrition from 13.9 per cent to 6.9 per cent; and global acute malnutrition from 20.7 per cent to 8.4 per cent. On the other hand, the overall percentage change in the prevalence of severe, moderate and global acute malnutrition accounts for 78 per cent, 50.3 per cent and 59.4 per cent, respectively.  The rate of annual decline of severe acute malnutrition is higher among rural children (7.02 per cent) and lower in those in urban areas (5.04 per cent). Child age (6-12 months), child size at birth (smaller), father’s occupation, administrative division and mother’s BMI are strongly related to severe, moderate, and global acute malnutrition. This paper also suggests that there is substantial room to upgrade the nutritional status of children aged 6-59 months in Bangladesh.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.57138/HGGQ2648 Date of PublicationJune 2022 Keywords Severe Acute Malnutrition, Moderate Acute Malnutrition, Global Acute Malnutrition, Children, Bangladesh JEL Classificatin Code C55, E61, I14, I15, Q18 Recommended Citation SARKER, A. R., & HOSSAIN, Z. (2021). Progress of Severe, Moderate and Global Acute Malnutrition among Children in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Development Studies, 44(1&2). 31-58. DOI: 10.57138/HGGQ2648 Corresponding Author(s)                                             Abdur Razzaque Sarkar                                             Zakir Hossain 

Public procurement of foodgrains in Bangladesh has significant implications for production and public foodgrain stock. Boro is the main rice crop cultivated in Bangladesh. During the 2019 boro harvest season, farmers in Bangladesh, particularly smallholder farmers, were adversely affected by low paddy prices. This paper assesses to what extent boro farmers could sell their paddy to the government, evaluates the efficacy of direct paddy procurement from farmers and examines options for improving Bangladesh’s foodgrain procurement system. Relevant actors in the boro paddy procurement system were inter- viewed, including boro-growing farm households, rice millers, traders, and government officials. We have also conducted a study in West Bengal, India, to explore alternative paddy procurement systems. Using evidence from Bangladesh and West Bengal, we propose two policy options for rice procurement in Bangladesh. First, when the paddy price is low and does not cover farmers’ production cost per unit, the government can purchase paddy directly from farmers to provide necessary price support. Second, when the paddy price is high, the government can purchase rice from the market through open tender to build or replenish public foodgrain stocks.    DOI: https://doi.org/10.57138/ZFHX2730 Date of PublicationJune 2022 Keywords  Bangladesh, West Bengal, Public Procurement, Grain, Production Costs, Demand-supply, Minimum Price Support, Policy Options JEL Classification Code  H57, Q11, E64 Recommended Citation Ahmed, A. U., Bakhtiar, M. M., Anowar, S., & Rahman, M. M. Public Procurement of Paddy in Bangladesh: Implications for Policy. The Bangladesh Development Studies, 42(1/2), 1-30. DOI: 10.57138/ZFHX2730 Corresponding Author(s)                                             Akhter U. Ahmed                                             M. Mehrab Bakhtiar                                             Sadat Anowar                                           Mohammad Moshiur Rahman