Bangladesh is at a watershed moment in its history. The student movement that began in early July last year, demanding quota reform in public service recruitment, met with brutal suppression from the government machinery. This transformed into a student-led, countrywide uprising with spontaneous citizen participation from all walks of life, ultimately toppling the government.
We conduct rigorous, multi-method social science research rooted in the developing country context, with a special emphasis on field research—not only one of our core methodological strengths, but also central to how we approach policy problems and solutions. By engaging directly with communities, stakeholders, and institutions, we generate evidence grounded in real-world contexts. This commitment ensures that our work remains timely, actionable, and highly relevant to the most pressing governance and development challenges of our time.
BIGD is expanding research on critical emerging questions—how to use digital technology for inclusive development and how to ensure that all children get equal opportunity to high-quality education.
Impact evaluations using experimental methods, e.g., randomized control trials (RCTs), is one of our key strengths. We have a strong track record in experimental research in poverty reduction and skills development. We are expanding our experimental research in other topics, e.g., women’s empowerment, climate change adaptation, and digitization. We also do large-scale surveys, often with nationally representative samples, to help policymakers and practitioners better understand important issues.
BIGD has an unmatched track record of qualitative research in Bangladesh. The State of Governance, a flagship yearly publication of BIGD, primarily utilizes qualitative research techniques to provide thorough analyses of critical governance issues in Bangladesh. Realizing the potential of qualitative methods for a nuanced inquiry of complex development challenges, we established a small yet ambitious Qualitative Research Team in 2020.
BIGD collaborates with stakeholders to conceptualize models, then pilot and scale them through continuous research and adaptation. For example, we have been working with the government for years to develop and incorporate a citizen engagement model in government procurement through the Digitizing Implementation Monitoring and Public Procurement Project (DIMAPPP).
We also conduct participatory research to actively involve participants themselves in the research process, capturing their unfiltered perspectives and experiences. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we frequently employed peer researchers in slums to document lived experiences and community responses.
We frequently follow a mixed method in our research because development challenges are complex and can only be understood and solved using multiple lenses. Our gender research team regularly combines large-scale surveys with advanced qualitative methods to understand, for example, how pervasive cultural and religious norms and values affect women’s empowerment in countries like Bangladesh.
BIGD’s economic research seeks to promote inclusive and sustainable economic prosperity. Our work spans a broad range of themes, including extreme poverty, livelihoods, skills and employment, migration, behavioural and psychosocial development, and financial inclusion. The Economic Research team currently comprises 25 members.
This cluster adopts a multidisciplinary, intersectional approach, recognizing that inequality and marginalization are shaped by complex interactions among social, economic, and political forces. Our research covers a range of topics, including labour market dynamics—applying a gender lens to examine skills, employment, entrepreneurship, and migration—as well as disability inclusion, education, early childhood development, and social norms, including those related to gender and violence against women. The Gender and Social Development team consists of 17 members.
Researchers in this cluster explore a diverse set of issues related to politics, democracy, and governance, with the goal of improving outcomes for citizens. Key research themes include citizenship, institutional capacity, political economy, labour rights, local governance, social accountability, and last-mile public service delivery. The Governance and Politics team comprises 12 members.
We investigate how environmental changes and climate risks affect different population groups, with a focus on identifying effective human and institutional responses. Our bottom-up research approach incorporates the lived realities of vulnerable communities. Key areas include livelihood adaptation, climate-induced migration, urbanization, and green transitions. The Environment and Climate Change team includes 11 members.
Our academic approach emphasizes the integration of theory, practice, and research. We leverage our strengths in social science research, strong ties to the development sector, and extensive global and local networks. We prioritize experiential learning through practicums and field exposure. This globally informed yet locally grounded approach equips our graduates with the perspectives, skills, and knowledge needed to navigate today’s complex, interconnected world and advance their professional goals.
Master of Development Studies (MDS) is a pioneering development-focused program in Bangladesh, with a growing alumni network across Asia and Africa.
Master of Arts in Governance and Development (MAGD) is designed to develop a new generation of impactful professionals advancing inclusive, sustainable, and just policy solutions.
Masters in Procurement and Supply Management (MPSM), one of its kind in Bangladesh, is aimed at building capacity to improve transparency and efficiency in procurement across public, development, and private sectors.
Post Graduate Diploma in Knitwear Industry Management (PGD-KIM) is specifically designed to strengthen leadership and management capacity in the knitwear sector—the backbone of Bangladesh’s ready-made garments (RMG) industry.
The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) is an internationally recognized 30-month certification program for procurement and supply chain professionals.
