BIDS Webinar- Critical Conversations 2020: In the Shadow of COVID - Coping, Adjustments, Responses Held
BIDS CC 2020 this year took the shape of a webinar and was held on 24 June 2020. BIDS researchers highlighted their work focusing on three core areas of covid impact, namely effect on unemployment, especially in the SME/MSME sector, the consequences for poverty and a more general assessment of covid responses and effects in terms of adjustments in social behaviour, state of covid-related knowledge, and the distribution of covid-like symptoms across space and by socio-economic and demographic categories pertaining to a more generalised population distribution. In all cases, policy insights and advice were extracted to suggest possible future directions for the fight ahead.
The 4 papers presented were as follows:
1. Addressing MSME Distress in the Current Crisis: Stimulas Packages and Policy Responses" by Monzur Hossain
1. Addressing MSME Distress in the Current Crisis: Stimulas Packages and Policy Responses" by Monzur Hossain
2. 'COVID 19 and SMEs: Understanding Immediate Impacts and Coping Strategies’ by Kazi Iqbal, Nahid Ferdous Pabon & Tanveer Mahmood.
3. 'Poverty in the Time of Corona: Short-term Effects and Policy Responses' by Binayak Sen, Zulfiqar Ali & Muntasir Murshed.
4. 'Coping With COVID and Individual Responses: Findings From a Large Online Survey' by K.A.S. Murshid, Tanveer Mahmood, Nahian Azad Shashi & Abdur Razzaque Sarker.
The webinar was very well attended and widely covered by the media. Mr. M A Mannan, MP and Honorable Minister, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh graced the event as the Chief Guest. Mr. Md Ashadul Islam, Senior Secretary, Planning Division was present as the Special Guest. Dr. K.A.S. Murshid, Director General of BIDS provided the background context and conducted the webinar as Chair.
The eminent panellists were Professor SR Osmani; Professor of Developmental Economics, Ulster Business School, University of Ulster, UK and Dr Mohammad Mushtuq Husain; Adviser, IEDCR who provided very valuable comments on the papers.
The webinar was attended by eminent scholars, policymakers, development practitioners, civil society members, activists, advocacy groups and journalists, and generated keen public interest. It was also streamed live on Facebook. Video link of the session is given below.