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BIGD Reviews

Position Paper

A People’s Police: Reform Suggestions for a Democratic Police

Date: 2025

Author(s): Hossain, Faruq; Ahsan, Inteemum; Al-Mamun, Md. 

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Evidence and Insights

Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia

Date: 2024

Researcher(s): Aktar, Taslima; Mamun, Saklain Al; Sultan, Maheen & 1 other

Publisher: BIGD

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Evidence and Insights

Can Words Bridge Gaps? Exploring the Effects of a Communication Intervention Between Parents and Adolescents on Child Marriage

Date: 2024

Researcher(s): Hossain, Marjan; Islam, Md. Rohmotul; Jahan, Nusrat

Topic(s): Education, Gender Justice, Social Transformation

Publisher: BIGD

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Working Paper

Analysis of Voice and Agency in Countering Backlash Against Gender Justice: Synthesis of Three Policy Cases in Bangladesh

Date: 2024

Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Mohaiminul Islam, Pragyna Mahpara, Iffat Jahan, Shamsad Navia Novelly

Topic(s): Gender Justice

Publisher: Institute of Development Studies

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Sustainable Business Model for Agrivoltaic Pilot Project in Bangladesh

This research investigates the impact of agrivoltaics—using land simultaneously for farm and solar energy production—on solar providers and farmers to assess its scale-up potential in Bangladesh. It seeks to identify the economic and environmental outcomes of agrivoltaics, key adoption factors for farmers and solar providers, and policy solutions to facilitate its scale-up. It aims to support Bangladesh's renewable energy goals while ensuring a fair transition for farmers.

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Evidence on Childcare (ECC)

There is limited evidence on effective and sustainable models for expanding childcare services for low-income households, especially in Bangladesh, where childcare needs are widely regarded as a barrier to women’s employment. BRAC aims to run a project to support caregivers and working mothers living in such neighbourhoods and has been piloting a home-based childcare model that uses a play-based approach. This study aims to measure the impact of childcare services on mother as well as generate formative evidence of home-based childcare for new entrepreneurs.

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Rapid Research Response (RRR) 2024

As Bangladesh stands on the brink of significant reform and an uncertain political future, BIGD is launching a Rapid Research Response (RRR 2024) initiative to provide real-time data and policy insights to support the interim government in its nation-building efforts to help make the best out of the opportunity presented by the changing regime and a new rise of citizenry. The initial phase of RRR ’24 is scheduled to happen between August ’24 and February ’25. The following research activities are either ongoing or planned as part of the initial phase.

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Women’s Economic Empowerment and Digital Connectivity (WEE-Connect)

WEE-Connect aims to bridge critical knowledge gaps on how digital connectivity can advance women’s economic empowerment. Building on the WEE-DiFine framework, it will create a knowledge hub, promote inclusive research funding, and establish a global scholarly community focused on gender and digital inclusion—particularly in the Global South, where women face barriers like limited access, device ownership, and safety concerns in the digital space.

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21 April 2025
Imran Jamal, PhD

While In-depth Interviews (IDIs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) are staples of qualitative research, expanding our methods can yield richer, more reflective data. Building rapport is essential for deep insights, which is often limited in one-off interviews. Repeat interviews, diary or audio log-keeping, and participatory tools like decision-making games and hypothetical scenarios help bridge the gap between what people say and do. These approaches allow participants to reflect more deeply, engage critically, and express themselves more freely. By creatively broadening our qualitative toolkit, we can better capture complex human experiences and move beyond surface-level responses to understand how people think, feel, and act in context.

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23 January 2025
Apoorv Somanchi, Sowmya Dhanaraj, and Gade Smit

Low-income women workers in rural Karnataka, India, face financial struggles due to short-term liquidity issues. Despite steady incomes, many resort to informal loans or cutting back on essentials like food, healthcare, and education, impacting their well-being. A study of 834 garment factory workers (October 2023–July 2024) reveals coping mechanisms like reducing expenses, deferring payments, or borrowing small interest-free loans. Nearly 27% reported cutting expenditures, with food and school fees most affected.

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16 January 2025
Anahit Tevosyan, Scott Graham, Nathaniel Mayende, and Joeri Smits

What happens if a woman is given the responsibility of the household? A WEE-DiFine study conducted in Uganda finds that more usually than not the burden of financial responsibilities falls squarely on the woman, without allowing her to save. This blog underscores the importance of the local context for rigorous measuring of women’s economic empowerment while giving insights into specific measures of economic empowerment related to women’s savings behavior.

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Multimedia

Tong Alaap Ep 006 | The Future of Energy in Bangladesh: Findings from the White Paper

Beyond Clay Bricks: BIGD’s Experimental Study for a Sustainable Future

Tong Alaap Episode 005 (unplugged) | Poverty & Climate Adaptation: Robin Burgess with Rohini Kamal

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