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Environmental
Impact of Trade Liberalisation and Trade-Related Policies
on the Marine Fisheries Sector in Bangladesh.
Under the CPD-CTPL programme, CTPL prepared three studies
as part of trade policy advisory services so far in
2003: TRIPs and Its Implications for Bangladeshi Pharmaceutical
Industry; Market Access of Bangladeshi Products to Canada:
Prospects of Export Diversification; and Energy Sector
and Trade Agreements: A Bangladeshi Perspective.
Six
Policy Briefs have been prepared so far under CPD's
Policy Brief initiative. These include: Modalities for
the Special Treatment of the LDCs; Common Strategy of
the SAARC Countries on WTO Issues; Comments on Submission
by Bangladesh on behalf of the LDCs to the Chairman
of WTO Negotiating Group on Market Access; Trade and
Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA); Financial Services
Commitments: Bangladesh's Position in the Ongoing Negotiations;
and E-commerce Strategy for Bangladesh for Promoting
Trade.
SANEI
CPD
is conducting a research in collaboration with the Department
of Economics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata and Centre
for Social Studies, Kolkata on the theme of "The
Trade Potentials of South Asian Economies under New
Global Trade Regimes: The Role of Some Non-Price Factors".
The Final Report has now been prepared and submitted
to South Asia Network of Economic Research Institutes
(SANEI).
Child
Labour Study
The
study on Child Labour in Bangladesh: A Forward Looking
Policy has been conducted at the Centre for Policy
Dialogue (CPD) under the overall guidance of Dr Debapriya
Bhattacharya, Executive Director, CPD and Professor
Mustafizur Rahman, Research Director of CPD. The study
was commissioned by the International Labour Organisation
(ILO). Dr Sumaiya Khair, Fellow, CPD and Associate
Professor, Department of Law, University of Dhaka
has prepared the paper.
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Independent
Review of Bangladesh's Development (IRBD) 2002
The Independent Review of Bangladesh's Development, (IRBD),
2002 has been filed for printing. The overarching theme for
IRBD, 2002 is Dynamics of Labour Market in Bangladesh and
its Global Linkage. The volume will contain two parts. In
Part A, a review of the state of the economy in FY2002 is
presented. Papers in this part include: Bangladesh's Economy
in FY2002: Macroeconomic Outlook; The Emerging Crisis in Bangladesh's
External Sector in FY2002; and Bangladesh Food Situation in
FY2002. The thematic Part B focuses on several important issues
in the context of Labour Market of Bangladesh and its Global
Linkage. Titles of the papers of part B include: Political
Economy of Employment; Employment in Bangladesh Rural Non-Farm
Sector; Socio-economic Analysis of Employment through Public
Service Commission in Bangladesh; Dynamics of Bangladesh Labour
Market and Trend Analysis Based on Latest LFS; Economic Crisis
and Employment Policies in Cross-Country Experience and Lessons
from Bangladesh; and New Macroeconomics, Employment Policies
and Right to Decent Work: What It All Means for Bangladesh.
Population and Sustainable Development
Under the CPD-UNFPA programme on Population and Sustainable
Development, a study on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
and Beyond: Strategies for Intervention in Bangladesh has
been completed. Dr Dina M Siddiqi, CPD Fellow and a senior
Associate at the Centre for Study of Women and Gender at the
University of Pennsylvania, USA conducted the study.
Trade Policy Analysis Programme
Under the programme on Trade Policy Analysis and Monitoring
the Impact of the WTO, CPD has recently completed four research
papers. These include: The WTO Agreement on Agriculture: Challenges
and Opportunities for Bangladesh; WTO Agenda on E-Commerce:
Relevance and Consequences for Bangladesh; Ongoing Negotiations
on the GATS FSA: Bangladesh's Concern and Position; and
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CPD
Hosts the Second Indo-Bangladesh Dialogue
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As
a sequel to the first round of Indo-Bangladesh dialogue
held in New Delhi during March 11-12, 2003, CPD hosted
the second round of Indo-Bangladesh dialogue during
March 28-29, 2003. The dialogue brought together eminent
citizens of Bangladesh and India who exchanged views
and ideas on issues of mutual interests and concerns
in a very cordial atmosphere.
The
seven member Indian delegation at the Dhaka dialogue
included former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh
Professor Muchkund Dubey, CPR President Professor
Charan D Wadhva, former Minister Mr Eduardo Faleiro,
eminent writer Professor George Verghese, Professor
K C Sivaramakrishanan, Dr A R Shihag of the TERI and
Director of Asian Transport Institute Dr K L Thapar.
The Bangladesh side was represented by a broad cross-section
of opinion and expertise including Parliamentarians,
members of the Civil Society, the Business community
and academia.
From
its outset, the CPD-CPR dialogues on Indo-Bangladesh
relations have been providing an opportunity to discuss
the various issues constraining bilateral relations
of the two neighbouring
countries
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which has facilitated the search for
constructive solutions to outstanding problems impacting
on the lives of the people of two countries. The Dhaka
dialogue deliberated on six key issues of mutual interest,
such as security, labour markets, energy co-operation,
trade related issues, water resources and transport
connectivity. With regard to trade, the participants
gave prominence to such issues as Bangladesh's growing
bilateral trade deficit, the identification of non-reciprocal
market access by India to the Bangladesh market and
the role of regional and sub-regional co-operation in
addressing the problem. Ways to facilitate trade through
mutual recognition of standards, trade facilitation
measures, harmonisation of tariffs and simplified customs
documentation were discussed.
The
Indian delegates, along with some members from the Bangladesh
side, met the Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina,
the Foreign Minister, Mr M Morshed Khan, MP and the
Commerce Minister Mr Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, MP
and briefed them about the major points of discussion
during the dialogue.
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