World Bank2013-07-302013-07-302003-12-14https://hdl.handle.net/10986/14669Bangladesh has marked considerable progress since independence in 1971 despite its dire initial conditions. Real per capita income is about 60percent higher now than in 1971. The share of population in poverty currently stands at about 50 percent, compared with over 70 percent in the early 1970s. Even more impressive has been the progress in improving the social and human dimensions of poverty. Bangladesh's faster gains in human development than in income growth result from public policies that have complemented the remarkable energy at the grassroots level. This energy was effectively channeled by the country's nongovernmental organizations and community-based organizations, many of which are world leaders in their innovative ideas and operational methods. Many challenges remain to be addressed, however, especially in the area of institutions. Remaining gaps in policies and weak institutions have impeded a faster pace of development. Inadequate improvement in governance has particularly constrained the investment climate and greatly diminished the state's ability to deliver basic social services, especially to the poor. The situation requires urgent action on the bold reform agenda adopted by the new government in the context of its Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP) in 2003. The authorities need to accelerate the pace of structural reforms-particularly in the areas of infrastructure (physical and financial), macroeconomic management, and overall governance-to improve the investment climate and strengthen social inclusion and participation. Unless this is done, Bangladesh will not be able to achieve the goals laid down in the I-PRSP; indeed, the gains already achieved risk being eroded.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOPOLICY REFORMSOCIAL SECTORHUMAN DEVELOPMENT STAGESINCOME GROWTHPUBLIC POLICYNONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONSCOMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONSOPERATIONAL STRATEGIESGOVERNANCESOCIAL SERVICESPOVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIESINFRASTRUCTUREINFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTSMACROECONOMIC MANAGEMENTINVESTMENT CLIMATESOCIAL INCLUSIONSOCIAL PARTICIPATIONPARTNERSHIPFISCAL ADMINISTRATIONFOREIGN INVESTMENTTRADE LIBERALIZATIONRURAL ECONOMYEDUCATION EQUITY ACCOUNTABILITYAGRICULTURAL GROWTHANTICORRUPTIONARSENICBANKING SECTORBANKING SYSTEMBASIC EDUCATIONBIRTH RATEBRIBERYBUREAUCRACYCHRONIC POVERTYCITIZENSCIVIL SOCIETYCOMMERCIAL BANKSCOMMUNICABLE DISEASESCOMPETITIVE MARKETSCONSULTATIVE PROCESSCORRUPTIONCPICRIMECULTIVABLE LANDDEBTDEMOCRACYDEREGULATIONDEVELOPMENT GOALSDEVELOPMENT INDICATORSDEVELOPMENT POLICIESDEVELOPMENT POLICYDISASTERSDRINKING WATERECONOMIC ACTIVITYECONOMIC GROWTHECONOMIC POLICIESECONOMIC POLICYEMPLOYMENTENVIRONMENTAL RISKEXCHANGE RATEEXTERNAL DEBTEXTERNAL FACTORSFAMILY PLANNINGFINANCIAL MANAGEMENTFINANCIAL SECTORFISHERIESFOOD PRODUCTIONFOOD SECURITYGIRLSGLOBAL ECONOMYGOOD GOVERNANCEGOVERNANCE INDICATORSGOVERNANCE PROBLEMSGROWTH PROCESSGROWTH RATEGROWTH RATESHOSPITALSHUMAN CAPITALHUMAN DEVELOPMENTHUMAN DIMENSIONSIMMUNIZATIONIMPORTSIMPROVING GOVERNANCEINCOMEINCOME COUNTRIESINCOME DISTRIBUTIONINCOME GROWTHINCOME INEQUALITYINCOME POVERTYINDUSTRIAL SECTORINEQUALITYINFANT MORTALITYINFLATIONINSTITUTIONAL CHANGESINSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTINSURANCEINTEREST RATESINTERNATIONAL TRADEINVESTMENT CLIMATELABOR COSTSLABOR MARKETLIFE EXPECTANCYLOCAL COMMUNITIESLOCAL LEVELLONG RUNLOW-INCOME COUNTRIESMACROECONOMIC FRAMEWORKMACROECONOMIC MANAGEMENTMACROECONOMIC PERFORMANCEMACROECONOMIC STABILITYMALNUTRITIONMASS EDUCATIONMEDIAMICRO-FINANCE INSTITUTIONSNONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONSOILPARTNERSHIPPER CAPITA INCOMEPERFORMANCE INDICATORSPOLICY REFORMSPOLICY REVIEWPOLITICAL COMMITMENTPOLITICAL DEVELOPMENTPOLITICAL INSTITUTIONSPOLITICAL INTERFERENCEPOLITICAL LEADERSHIPPOLLUTIONPOOR GOVERNANCEPOOR GROWTHPOOR HOUSEHOLDSPOOR PERFORMANCEPOOR POLICIESPOPULATION GROUPPOVERTY ALLEVIATIONPOVERTY LINEPOVERTY REDUCTIONPOVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGYPRIVATE SECTORPRIVATE SECTORSPRO-POORPRO-POOR GROWTHPRODUCTIVITYPRODUCTIVITY GROWTHPUBLIC POLICIESPUBLIC SECTORPUBLIC SERVICEPUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERYPUBLIC SPENDINGQUOTASRAPID GROWTHREAL INTEREST RATESREDUCED POVERTYREDUCING POVERTYREFORM PROGRAMREGULATORY FRAMEWORKRULE OF LAWRURAL EMPLOYMENTRURAL HOUSEHOLDSRURAL INFRASTRUCTURERURAL POORRURAL POPULATIONSAFETYSAFETY NETSAFETY NETSSAPSSAVINGSSCHOOLSSERVICE DELIVERYSERVICE PROVISIONSOCIAL CAPITALSOCIAL DEVELOPMENTSOCIAL ENVIRONMENTSOCIAL INCLUSIONSOCIAL MARKETINGSOCIAL POLICIESSOCIAL PROTECTIONSOCIAL SERVICESSTATE-OWNED ENTERPRISESSTRUCTURAL REFORMSTECHNICAL ASSISTANCETRADE POLICYURBAN AREASWORKERSWorld Bank10.1596/14669