RAPID Seminar on Socio-economic Priorities for the Next Government.

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Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID), with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), organised a seminar on 15 December 2025 titled 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐨-𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. The event was honoured with the presence of 𝐌𝐫 𝐌𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐂𝐌𝐀, Hon’ble Chairman of the National Board of Revenue, as the Chief Guest. 𝐌𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐚 𝐊 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐲, former Adviser to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. The keynote presentation was delivered by 𝐃𝐫 𝐌 𝐀 𝐑𝐚𝐳𝐳𝐚𝐪𝐮𝐞, Chairman of RAPID, with 𝐃𝐫 𝐌 𝐀𝐛𝐮 𝐄𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐟, Executive Director of RAPID and Professor at the University of Dhaka, moderating the session. The esteemed panel included 𝐌𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐤𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚, President of Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF); 𝐌𝐫 𝐀𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐫-𝐔𝐥-𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐳, President of the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI); 𝐃𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐦𝐮𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐫, Professor at the Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka; 𝐃𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐥 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦, Professor at the Population Sciences Department, University of Dhaka; 𝐌𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐧, Head of Online at Prothom Alo; and 𝐌𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦, President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BKMEA) Dr M A Razzaque outlined 12 socio-economic priorities facing the next government, which include:
- Deciding on seeking an extension of LDC graduation or preparing for a hard landing.
- Controlling inflation to restore macroeconomic stability and protect the purchasing power of poor and vulnerable households.
- Repairing the banking system to prevent a broader financial crisis.
- Creating millions of productive jobs through a robust employment-centred development strategy.
- Strengthening external buffers to build reserves and restore confidence in the exchange rate framework.
- Raising domestic revenue to safeguard fiscal sustainability and address inequality.
- Reversing underinvestment in health, education, and social protection to secure long-term development.
- Addressing mounting debt pressures to prevent debt servicing from crowding out essential development spending.
- Ensuring energy security to boost industrial growth while accelerating renewable energy integration.
- Removing barriers to women’s economic participation and preventing violence against women.
- Restoring data integrity to underpin credible policymaking and good governance.
- Strengthening state capacity to manage geopolitical risks for effective economic policymaking.

Media Report here.

Event Report here.