BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD

24/08/2026

📢 Secure your seat for BIGD Masterclass #2

How can bureaucracy remain independent enough to “speak truth to power” while remaining accountable to elected leaders and citizens?

As part of the BIGD Masterclass series, Dr. Asif Shahan, Senior Research Fellow, BIGD, will explore the theoretical debates surrounding bureaucratic accountability and examine how these questions have played out in Bangladesh.

If you are interested in governance, public administration, or understanding the relationship between politics and bureaucracy, join ENVISIONEERS and secure your spot today.

🗓️ 30 August 2026
🕝 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM

22/08/2026

Stay tuned for our upcoming episode of Tong Alaap, hosted by Dr. Imran Matin (Executive Director, BIGD)!

20/08/2026

How can better energy data help Bangladesh’s garment industry?

A new open-source digital dashboard brings together energy data from 339 garment factories across Bangladesh’s export-oriented RMG sector. Users can explore individual factories on a map and examine the findings chapter by chapter.

The dashboard is based on on-site energy assessments conducted by BIGD, with support from the Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh, establishing the first-ever representative energy baseline for the country’s export-oriented RMG sector.

The data can help factories identify practical efficiency gains across seven key areas, reduce energy costs, make informed investments, and strengthen their competitiveness as sustainability requirements grow.

A few key findings:
1. While 29% of the factories assessed have their own solar systems, the median system accounts for only around 2% of a factory’s total energy use.
2. An estimated 150 MW of rooftop solar potential remains untapped across the sector.

The initiative was carried out through the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ SDG Opportunity Window, in close collaboration with BGMEA and BKMEA.

To explore the dashboard, check the comments 👇

18/08/2026

🎓 Admissions Open for Fall 2026 (2nd Intake) | MDS at BIGD, BRAC University

BIGD's Master of Development Studies (MDS) is relevant for social businesses, policymaking, advocacy, consulting, teaching and development research. Graduates have gone on to work in Bangladesh and beyond with top NGOs, multilateral and bilateral organizations, as well as governments and the private sector.

📅 Application Deadline: 7 September 2026
📝 Admission Test: 11 September 2026 at 3.30 PM

Application link below 👇

Domestic Programs Program Name Master of Science in Medical Physics ACADEMIC SESSION Fall 2026 LAST DATE OF SUBMISSION September 01, 2026 ADMISSION TEST DATE & TIME September 05, 2026, 10.30AM Requirements Apply Now Program Name Master of Education in Educational Leadership and School Improvement (M...

17/08/2026

💼 Admissions Open for Fall 2026 (2nd Intake) | MPSM at BIGD, BRAC University

The Masters in Procurement and Supply Chain (MPSM) at BIGD, BRAC University develops highly competent procurement and supply chain management professionals of international standards of the 21st century.

📅 Application Deadline: 7 September 2026
📝 Admission Test: 11 September 2026 at 3:30 PM

Application link below 👇

Domestic Programs Program Name Master of Science in Medical Physics ACADEMIC SESSION Fall 2026 LAST DATE OF SUBMISSION September 01, 2026 ADMISSION TEST DATE & TIME September 05, 2026, 10.30AM Requirements Apply Now Program Name Master of Education in Educational Leadership and School Improvement (M...

16/08/2026

How can Bangladesh make urban transport policy more inclusive while protecting the livelihoods that depend on it?

At বিআইজিডি গবেষণার খোঁজখবর on 13 August 2026, BIGD's James W. Khakshi and Faruq Hossain presented their ongoing research, “Contested Mobilities: Understanding the Political Ecology, Livelihoods and Policy Futures of Rickshaws in Urban Bangladesh.”

Drawing on a mixed-methods study conducted in Dhaka and Barishal, the research examines the social, political, and institutional factors shaping the governance of battery-assisted rickshaws. The study highlights the role of informal garages in supporting the sector, the limited participation of drivers and other frontline stakeholders in policy decisions, while also exploring the pressures created by restrictions and policy uncertainty.

11/08/2026

How can ethnography help us better understand complex social realities?

The 30 July 2026 চা-চক্র session featured Dr. Camelia Dewan, who presented on "Ethnographic Methods in Practice: Building Knowledge through Long-Term Fieldwork." Drawing on her long-term ethnographic research in coastal Bangladesh and Chattogram's ship recycling industry, she discussed how participant observation, interviewing, relationship-building, and reflexivity contribute to understanding environmental change, labor, and other complex social issues.

The session also explored the practical and ethical challenges of conducting research in politically and socially complex settings, and highlighted how ethnographic methods can generate rich insights that complement quantitative and mixed-methods research.

Dr. Camelia Dewan, Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology, Uppsala University, researches environmental change, development, labor, toxicity, and climate justice.

09/08/2026

On 6 August 2026, International Growth Centre (IGC) and BIGD convened a high-level roundtable on the future of social protection, bringing together some 25 experts to map priorities for a universal social security system—centered on how the government's flagship Family Card program can strengthen the country's social safety net.

The roundtable featured Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir (Honorable Adviser to the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Planning) as the Chief Guest and Zonayed Saki (Honorable Minister of State for Planning) as the Guest of Honor. Dr. Imran Matin (Executive Director, BIGD) began the roundtable with a trigger presentation followed by a discussion with distinguished guests from Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh, Research and Policy Integration for Development - RAPID, South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, BRAC, United Nations Development Programme in Bangladesh, World Bank, British High Commission in Bangladesh, Innovision Consulting, and more.

Dr. Robin Burgess (Professor of Economics at LSE and Co-founder of IGC) and Shahid Vaziralli (Head of Research Programme at IGC) joined online to share insights from successful programs from around the world, highlighting, among others, the success of BRAC's Ultra Poor Graduation (UPG) approach.

The discussion underscored a shared conviction: reform must be evidence-driven, fiscally grounded, and, above all, accountable to the people.

07/08/2026

Can sorting household waste help fight climate change?

A new policy brief published by the International Growth Centre (IGC) explores how source-sorting household waste can transform urban waste management in Bangladesh. Co-authored by BIGD researchers, Dr. Proloy Barua, Prataoy Kabya Bhowmik, Khadija Akter Sonia, and Dr. Munshi Sulaiman, along with our colleague, A M M Fazlur Rashid from Dyadic Research Impacts Private Limited, the brief draws on evidence from Cox's Bazar Municipality to show that color-coded waste sorting bins can boost recycling, support composting, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create income opportunities for households and waste workers.

📖 Find the policy brief in the first comment

04/08/2026

The July 2024 Uprising was a united force of students, urban residents, and industrial workers challenging the established political order. As the country prepares to observe July Mass Uprising Day on 5 August, it enters a new phase shaped by opportunities for renewal and significant democratic challenges.

Against this backdrop, BIGD launched an annual conference series, titled “State and Future of Democracy in Bangladesh.” Its inaugural installment, “Return of Electoral Democracy in Bangladesh: Reflections and Learnings from 2026,” was held on 3 August 2026.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Imran Matin, ED, BIGD, emphasized the need to continue our efforts to build a democracy where common citizens can have meaningful power over elected representatives and the bureaucracy on issues that impact their lives.
Dr. Mirza M. Hassan, Advisor and Senior Research Fellow at BIGD, made the keynote presentation. He traced the evolution of democracy in Bangladesh and offered a framework for examining the nation’s transition, lessons from the 2026 elections, and the road ahead.

The event also featured the launch of BIGD’s State of Governance 2026 report, “Rupture, Reform, and Reimagining Democracy: Navigating the Agony of Transition.” The report examines the July 2024 Uprising as a critical turning point shaped by structural inequalities, clientelism, and exclusionary governance.

📖 Read the State of Governance 2026 report via the link in the first comment below