People

Sakib Mahmood, PhD

Sakib Mahmood, PhD

Assistant Professor and Research Fellow

sakib.mahmood@bracu.ac.bd

Sakib Mahmood, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Research Fellow at the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University.

Dr. Mahmood’s research focuses on how social norms and structural barriers – particularly those related to gender – influence economic behavior and access to opportunity. Based in Bangladesh, his work combines empirical analysis with field-based research to inform the design of programs and policies. He studies how gender roles and power dynamics affect information sharing, decision-making, and labor market participation. His research has addressed a range of topics, including early marriage, intimate partner violence, the reintegration of returnee migrants, and women’s access to digital employment. A central feature of his work is the use of randomized evaluations to assess low-cost interventions such as media campaigns, incentive programs, and skills training. Across these areas, his goal is to produce evidence that is both academically rigorous and directly relevant to policy and practice.

Dr. Mahmood received his BA in Applied Mathematics and Economics, and his MS and PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics, all from the University of California, Berkeley. He has been affiliated with BIGD since completing his PhD in 2020.

Journal Article

The Impact of Microcredit on Household Welfare: Evidence from Bangladesh During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Date: 2025

Author(s): Arman, Mohammad Raied; Das, Narayan; Mahmood, Sakib; Rahman, Semab; Rahman, Khandker Wahedur.

Publisher: Journal of Development Studies

Report

Impact Evaluation Report of the Women’s Skill Development for Freelancing Marketplaces (WSDFM) Program

Date: 2022

Author(s): Arman, Md. Raied; Bhattacharjee, Anindita; Das, Narayan; Ghosh, Dipanwita; Gomes, Mohima; Huq, Lopita; Kamruzzaman, Md.; Mahmood, Sakib

Publisher: BIGD

Report

COVID-19 Learning, Evidence and Research (CLEAR) for Bangladesh: Impact of COVID-19 on Migration in Bangladesh

Date: 2022

Author(s): Hossain, Rakib; Khaleque, Afsana Binte; Mahmood, Sakib 

Topic(s): Economic Development, COVID-19

Publisher: BIGD,Institute of Development Studies

Evidence and Insights

Socio-Economic Reintegration of Returnee Migrant Workers of Bangladesh

Date: 2021-2022

Author(s): Neaz, Nuzaira Binte; Jahan, Nusrat

Publisher: BIGD

Report

Livelihoods, Coping and Recovery During COVID-19 Crisis: Evidence from Three Rounds of PPRC-BIGD Survey

Date: 2021

Author(s): Rahman, Hossain Zillur; Rahman, Atiya; Zillur, Umama; Matin, Imran; Das, Narayan; Wazed, Mohammad Abdul; Hossain, Billal; Mahmood, Sakib; Ahmed, Shakil; Haque, Masudul

Topic(s): COVID-19, Economic Development

Publisher: BIGD,Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC)

A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) Study on Social Norms and Child Marriage: Impact Evaluation of BRAC’s SELP Program

Status: Ongoing

Researcher(s): Munshi Sulaiman, PhD, Shaila Ahmed, PhD, Md. Johirul Islam, Khandker Wahedur Rahman, PhD, Sakib Mahmood, PhD

Topic(s): BRAC Programs

The Determinants of Domestic Violence in Bangladesh: A Randomized Control Trial

Status: Ongoing

Researcher(s): Atonu Rabbani, PhD, Sakib Mahmood, PhD

Topic(s): Gender Justice

Age at Marriage, Women’s Human Capital, and Maternal and Child Health in Bangladesh (Kishoree Kantha Project)

Status: Ongoing

Researcher(s): Sakib Mahmood, PhD, Md. Rakib Hossain

Topic(s): Economic Development, Gender Justice, Social Transformation

Social Norms and Firm Productivity: Evidence from Bangladeshi Knitwear Factories

Status: Ongoing

Researcher(s): Sakib Mahmood, PhD

Topic(s): Gender Justice, Skills and Jobs

How Important is Credit Access for Resilience and Recovery during a Crisis? An Evaluation based on the Activities of BRAC’s BCUP Program during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Status: Completed

Researcher(s): Narayan C. Das, PhD, Khandker Wahedur Rahman, PhD, Md. Raied Arman, Sakib Mahmood, PhD, Semab Rahman

Topic(s): COVID-19, Economic Development, BRAC Programs

Reintegration of Returnee (Failed) Migrants

Status: Completed

Researcher(s): Narayan C. Das, PhD, Shahaduz Zaman, PhD, Tanvir Shatil, Sakib Mahmood, PhD

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, COVID-19

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