Academic Session 4 of ABCD 2025 on Labor Market, Agriculture and Energy

Описание: Paper 1: One size does not fit all: Urban heterogeneity and labor market inequalities in Bangladesh (Badrun Nessa Ahmed, Senior Research Fellow, BIDS)
The study shows that Bangladesh’s urban labor markets are far from uniform; metropolitan cities offer a strong wage premium of about 22%, while smaller urban centers provide only modest gains. These differences stem from stronger agglomeration effects like better job matching, knowledge spillovers, and sectoral diversity in large cities. The findings call for differentiated urban policies that strengthen secondary cities and address rising spatial inequality.
Paper 2: Graduates’ employability in Bangladesh: Academic performance or prior work experience? Evidence from the graduates of National University (Tahreen Tahrima Chowdhury, Research Fellow, BIDS)
NU graduates face high unemployment despite rising educational attainment, and employers prioritize practical work experience and institutional reputation over CGPA when hiring. Academic performance matters mainly for interview calls, not job placement. The findings highlight the need for colleges to strengthen skill-building, industry partnerships, and quality standards to improve graduate employability.
Paper 3: Women’s working conditions and economic empowerment: A case of agro-based industries in Bangladesh (Kashfi Rayan, Research Associate, BIDS)
Agro-based industries provide an important entry point for rural women into paid work, yet poor working conditions, limited skills, and weak institutional protections undermine genuine empowerment. High levels of workplace and commuting harassment, low awareness of rights, and minimal participation in governance structures reveal deep structural vulnerabilities. The study stresses that employment must be paired with stronger labour rights, safety mechanisms, and skill-building pathways to translate work into real agency.
Paper 4: The irresistible shift from agriculture to “Agri-Venture”: Technology, habitus, and the looming threat of ecocide (Mohammad Golam Nabi Mazumder, Senior Research Fellow, BIDS)
The study shows that rapid mechanization and intensified input use have transformed Bangladeshi agriculture from a cultural livelihood into an extractive “agri-venture.” While technology boosts productivity, farmers face new vulnerabilities-from poor machinery access to hazardous work conditions and women-unfriendly designs. The study argues for reimagining agriculture as a vocation and adopting agro-ecological models to avert long-term ecological damage.
The session is chaired by S. M. Zulfiqar Ali, Research Director, BIDS.
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