iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Prof. Naila Kabeer (Professorial Fellow, BIGD) has won the 2026 ACLS Open Access Book Prize in Pol. Science for "Renegotiating Patriarchy," a study of how ordinary women drove Bangladesh's social progress. 📖 doi.org/10.31389/lse... @acls1919.bsky.social @lsepress.bsky.social @lseid.bsky.social

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Our latest quarterly newsletter, BIGD Works, is out, featuring the State and Future of Democracy conference, research on women’s political participation and social protection, YRF, DIIR, Tong Alaap, and more. Read: bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications... Photo credit: Md. Morshed Khandokar Joy

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

How can mothers’ involvement in children’s distance learning change their own lives? A WEE-Connect working paper by Munshi Sulaiman and Hashibul Hassan examines longer-term changes in mothers’ digital connectivity and agency. Read the paper: bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

What happens when bureaucracy is caught between autonomy and political control? At the second BIGD Masterclass on 30 August 2026, Dr. Asif Shahan examined Bangladesh’s bureaucracy, administrative discretion, and what these dynamics mean for accountability today.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

BIGD’s “State and Future of Democracy in Bangladesh” conference series opened with reflections on the 2026 elections and democratic transition, alongside the launch of the State of Governance Report 2026. Read the report here: bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Inclusive employment can help youth with disabilities access decent work—but effective implementation matters. A new BIGD study on BRAC's STAR+ Programme published in @tandfresearch.bsky.social explores what worked and what needs improvement. Learn more: bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

COVID-19 pushed many Bangladeshi households into poverty despite stable livelihoods before the pandemic. A new BIGD study in @tandfresearch.bsky.social shows why income alone is not enough and proposes five indicators to identify the “new poor.” 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Can cash transfers alone improve the lives of persons with disabilities? On June 30, BIGD and LSHTM hosted Beyond Just Cash Transfers, sharing new evidence on disability-inclusive livelihoods and education, and discussing how research can drive meaningful action. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/events/#past

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

On July 2, we marked BIGD Day 2026, bringing together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and development partners to explore how evidence, collaboration, and locally rooted solutions can address today's development challenges. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/events/#past

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

A new paper by BIGD researchers examines why young people in one of the world's largest displacement settings are left out of education, employment, and training (NEET). 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

We hosted the first session in our Master Class series on June 4. The session, titled "Political Thinking of Karl Marx and Its Contemporary Relevance," was led by Dr. Mirza M. Hassan, Advisor for the Governance and Politics Cluster at BIGD.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

📱 What if feature phones, not smartphones, are enough to drive women's digital inclusion? A new BIGD policy brief about a 15-week IVR-based program in rural Bangladesh finds lasting gains in mothers' agency, empowerment & connectivity 4 years on. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

A 15-week mobile phone-based distance learning program in rural Bangladesh, evaluated four years after completion, produced large and lasting gains in mothers’ digital connectivity, agency, economic empowerment, and gender attitudes, and their children continued to outperform peers on academic assessments. Using an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) platform accessible on basic feature phones, the program required neither an internet connection nor a smartphone. These findings challenge the prevailing assumption that women’s digital inclusion requires high-tech solutions, and offer a rigorous, scalable model for simultaneously advancing children’s education and maternal empowerment in low-resource settings.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

📊 Does the gender of the interviewer alter the data we collect on sensitive issues? A new BIGD study in The World Bank Economic Review finds respondents under-report intimate partner violence to male enumerators, masking a program's true impact. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

Survey responses might be biased by enumerator characteristics, which could in turn affect impact evaluation estimates. This study demonstrates this in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, by cross-randomizing the gender of the enumerator eliciting responses, and experimentally varying the rollout of an established anti-poverty program. It finds that respondents significantly under-report (0.51 sd) cases of IPV to males compared to females. Furthermore, the intervention significantly reduces (0.20 sd) incidence of IPV. However, this impact is only discernible when surveyed through females. If only male enumerators are used, the impact of the program is masked due to response bias.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

A COVID-era mobile distance learning program in rural Bangladesh kept shaping mothers' digital connectivity, agency & economic empowerment 4 years on. New working paper explores how low-tech interventions create lasting effects for mothers & children. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

This study measures the long-term impacts of a mobile phone-based distance learning intervention on mothers’ digital connectivity, agency, and empowerment in rural Bangladesh. Building on a randomized controlled trial of an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) program conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, we revisit participating households four years later to assess sustained outcomes and spillover effects.

Results show that treated mothers experienced significant gains in digital connectivity (0.44 SD), digital literacy transfer (0.48 SD), agency (0.44 SD), economic empowerment (0.41 SD), and gender attitudes (0.65 SD). Educational spillovers were equally pronounced, with children in treated households scoring 0.53 SD higher on academic assessments and mothers reporting stronger aspirations for their children’s education.

Mechanism analyses highlight digital literacy transfer as the central pathway, mediating substantial shares of empowerment, gender attitude change, mobile financial service use, and information access. Heterogeneous treatment effects reveal stronger impacts among less-educated and lower-income mothers, underscoring the importance of equitable access to technology. These findings demonstrate that low-tech, parent-led distance education programs can generate enduring maternal empowerment and educational benefits, positioning mothers as pivotal agents of digital inclusion and behavioral transformation.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

📢 Our latest quarterly newsletter is out! The Jan–Apr 2026 issue of BIGD Works unveils our first-ever impact framework, plus highlights from a busy start to the year: conferences, the RIDGE initiative, a new Tong Alaap podcast & fresh publications. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

On 17 May, BIGD & Oxford Policy Management brought together policymakers, researchers & civil society to make the case for integrating early childhood development and social protection into Bangladesh's national poverty strategy. 🔗 Learn more about the program: bigd.bracu.ac.bd/event/policy...

From left to right: Riffat Jahan Nahreen (Education Adviser, British High Commission), Dr Jena Hamadani (Emeritus Scientist, icddr,b), Dr Umar Salam (Principal Economist, Oxford Policy Management), and Dr Imran Matin (Executive Director, BIGD) at the inaugural session of the event.

From left to right: Dr A.K. Enamul Haque (Director General, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies), Dr Kazi Iqbal (Research Director, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies), and Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzaque (Chairman, Research and Policy Integration for Development) during Dr Razzaque's presentation highlighting the priorities for the next phase of social protection in Bangladesh.

From left to right: Dr Munshi Sulaiman (Research Director, BIGD), Dr Dipankar Roy (Joint Secretary and Project Director, Statistics and Informatics Division, Ministry of Planning), Dr Atonu Rabbani (Research Director, General Economic Division, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies), Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman (Executive Chairman, Power and Participation Research Centre), and Dr Sheikh Touhidul Haque (Research Fellow, BIGD) during Dr Haque's presentation looking into Bangladesh's social mobility paradox.

From left to right: Dr Manzoor Ahmed (Chair, Bangladesh ECD Network), Dr Erum Marium (Executiver Director, BRAC Institute of Educational Development), Dr Selim Raihan (Executive Director, South Asian Network on Economic Modelling), Dr Iman Matin (Executive Director, BIGD), Dr Mohammad Abu Yusuf (Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare), and Dr Fahmida Khatun (Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialouge) during a high-level dialogue on practical means of bridging the gap between research evidence and national implementation priorities.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Redundant paperwork & long delays shouldn't be the cost of basic government services, especially when citizen data already exists in public records. Research from BIGD & Jagannath University proposes a centralized data hub to transform local governance in BD. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

BIGD & BGMEA held factory-level energy consultations in Dhaka, supported by the Danish Embassy. ~30 RMG factories received tailored energy profiles & renewable energy recommendations to drive Bangladesh's green transition. 🔗 Want to learn more about the study? bigd.bracu.ac.bd/study/capaci...

BIGD Senior Research Associate, Tahmid Bin Mahmud, delivering his keynote address to the audience.

Ali Asraf Khan (Sustainability and Value Chain Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark), Sheikh Shuchita Jahan Sneha (Coordinator, Responsible Business Hub, BGMEA), and Syed Matiul Ahsan (Programme Adviser, Embassy of Denmark) in between sessions.

A BIGD Research Officer during a one-on-one consultation with a factory representative. These customized sessions equipped factory leaders with specific energy consumption profiles, sector benchmarks, and recommendations for renewable energy adoption to drive sustainable policies into real-world practice.

BIGD Research Officers with Senior Research Associate, Tahmid Bin Mahmud.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

We hosted a dissemination event on women's economic participation in SMEs, bringing together policymakers, researchers, employers & development partners. The goal? More gender-inclusive workplaces through evidence for actionable policy. 🔗 Learn more: bigd.bracu.ac.bd/event/dissem...

BIGD Executive Director, Dr Imran Matin, speaking at the event opening.

The first of two panel discussions focused on how research can inform action toward more gender-inclusive SME workplaces. Moderated by Dr Sheikh Touhidul Haque (Research Fellow, BIGD), the session featured discussants including Kazi Kamrun Nahar (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare, GoB), Farzana Khan (Deputy Managing Director, SME Foundation), Afroza Parvin (Deputy Director, Department of Labour, GoB), Salina Sharif (General Manager, PKSF), and Dr Ashikur Rahman (Principal Economist, PRI Bangladesh).

BIGD Senior Research Associate, Nuzaira Binte Neaz, sharing insights into gender norms and women's workplace experiences in SMEs based on the study.

The second panel, moderated by Nawshin Bashir (Deputy Coordinator, Data and Field Management, BIGD), shifted the conversation from policy to practice, with entrepreneurs and workers sharing their first-hand experiences in SME workplaces.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

The global fuel crisis disrupted irrigation for farmers ahead of boro harvest season. A BIGD pilot, funded by H&M Foundation, is exploring agrivoltaics — solar panels above crops — as a more resilient energy source for agriculture. Read more in Reflections 2025 on #EarthDay. tinyurl.com/y272xumx

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

How is digital tech reshaping entertainment in rural Bangladesh? A new ethnographic study by Tanvir Shatil, Golam Ahmed Rabbi & Shahaduz Zaman explores mobile use, local audio-visual content & informal sharing networks in Jamalpur District. 🔗 www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...

The image shows people huddled around a phone screen. Learn how digital communication technologies are reshaping the landscape of rural entertainment by following the link to the article.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

COVID-19 hit Bangladesh's RMG sector hard. Stimulus packages rolled out fast — but who really benefited, workers or employers? BIGD's Maheen Sultan, Iffat Antara & Touhidul Islam explore this question via volume published by Helsinki University Press: hup.fi/books/e/10.33134/HUP-36

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

What works in poverty alleviation? Check out the newly launched Graduation Evidence Map — a single, navigable, research-backed tool that aggregates findings from 112 studies across 40+ countries on graduation and lump-sum cash transfer programs. 🔗 braclseultrapovertyenvironment.org/evidence-map

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

🎙 Envisioneers #CareerTalks Ep. 03 Curious about a career in governance research? Hear BIGD researchers share their journeys, key skills & entry routes—including the upcoming GPRF program. 🗓 12 March 2026 📋 Register by 11 March 🔗 Register: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

🎙 We’re back with another episode of Envisioneers #CareerTalks!

Thinking about building a career in governance and politics research but unsure where to start? This session brings together researchers from the Governance and Politics cluster at BIGD to talk about how they entered the field, what research in this space actually involves, and the skills that matter along the way.

If you’re studying Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, International Relations, or a related discipline and exploring research as a career path, this conversation is for you.

We’ll also discuss structured entry routes into this field, including BIGD’s upcoming Governance and Politics Research Fellowship (GPRF) Program.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

📢 Applications open for Governance & Politics Research Fellowship (GPRF)! This 4-month program offers hands-on experience in qualitative research with mentorship from senior researchers. 🎓 Opportunity to join BIGD as a Research Associate 📅 Deadline: 31 March 2026 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/governance-a...

The application deadline for the Governance and Politics Research Fellowship (GPRF) program is on 31 March 2026.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Chars are home to ~20M people in Bangladesh, facing deep poverty, weak infrastructure, and high climate risk. BRAC’s IDP is delivering targeted support, and BIGD is evaluating its impact through an RCT. 📖 Read the baseline report: bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications...

Woman carrying a child looking on forlornly.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

How should digital financial services be designed to genuinely support women’s economic empowerment? New evidence from the WEE-DiFine research portfolio suggests design matters as much as access. 📅 25 Feb 2026 ⏰ 10 AM EST | 6 PM EAT | 9 PM Dhaka 🔗 Register: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

A panel discussion followed the inaugural session, moderated by Dr Selim Jahan (BIGD) and featuring Prof Sharmind Neelormi (Jahangirnagar University) and Muhammad Iftekhar Mahmud (B-SCAN). The conference is being jointly organised by BIGD and @iced-lshtm.bsky.social.

Sharmind Neelormi, Professor at the Department of Economics, Jahangirnagar University, speaking at the moderated panel discussion titled "Conceptualizing Economic Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities."

Muhammad Iftekhar Mahmud, Director at Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus (B-SCAN), was a featured speaker at the conference's "Conceptualizing Economic Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities" moderated panel discussion.

Dr Selim Jahan, Professorial Fellow at BIGD, moderated the discussion on "Conceptualizing Economic Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities."

The conference brought together academics and practitioners, as well as people with disabilities and their representative organizations, policymakers, and donors.

The goal? To share what works on economic inclusion for persons with disabilities and advance effective policy, research, and programmatic action.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Opening of the International Conference on Economic Inclusion for Persons With Disabilities, organised by BIGD and @iced-lshtm.bsky.social. The inaugural featured Dr Munshi Sulaiman (BIGD), Dr Morgon Banks (ICED, LSHTM), Tahera Jabeen (FCDO BD), and Dr Syed Ferhat Anwar (Vice Chancellor, BRACU).

Dr Syed Ferhat Anwar, Vice-Chancellor at BRAC University, speaking at the inaugural session of the International Conference on Economic Inclusion for Persons With Disabilities.

Dr Munshi Sulaiman, Research Director at BIGD, speaking at the inaugural session of the International Conference on Economic Inclusion for Persons With Disabilities.

Tahera Jabeen, Social Development Adviser at FCDO Bangladesh, speaking at the inaugural session of the International Conference on Economic Inclusion for Persons With Disabilities.

The event brought together around 300 academics and practitioners working on disability and economic inclusion, as well as people with disabilities and their representative organisations, policymakers, and donors.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

📢 Call for Abstracts! Submit your abstract for the International Conference on Economic Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities, jointly organised by BIGD and the PENDA programme at @iced-lshtm.bsky.social 🗓️ Submission Deadline: 31 Oct, 2025

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

We are delighted to announce that our ED, Dr Imran Matin, will join the Southern Voice biennial conference. Under the theme “Reimagining the Global Development Architecture”, this event will convene 70+ think tanks from 30+ countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

💡 When Digital Hurts: How DFS Can Expose Vulnerabilities for Women, organised by BIGD’s WEE Initiatives (WEE-DiFine & WEE-Connect), featured global voices on women & digital finance. Catch the visual summary 🎨 + full session 📽️ 🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikil...

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

✨ Inclusion = more than access. It’s about safety & dignity. Join our FIW 2025 session: When Digital Hurts. 🗓 7 Oct | 4:00–4:30 PM BST 🔗Register here: shorturl.at/wLmzX #FIW2025 #DigitalFinance

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BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD @bigd-bracu.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

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