Our Head of Communications and Initiative Director, Nusrat Jahan, writes about the successes and limitations of microfinance, and how it can be made more impactful at scale in her @voxdev.bsky.social article today.

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

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

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...

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.

📱 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...

📊 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...

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...

In the latest #CareerTalks, Program Coordinator Zarine Anan Khondoker talks with four BIGD colleagues—Nawshin Bashir, Soujannita Chowdhury, Mohammad Tofail Bin Azam & Mohammad Ifaz Uddin—on their unconventional paths into social science research. 🔗 Watch the episode now: youtu.be/w427PpOxnfI?...

📢 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...

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...

🆕 Beyond access: When does digital finance actually empower women? Today on VoxDev, Tasnuba Sinha (BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD) discusses how digital financial services can support women's economic empowerment: https://ow.ly/QOwj50Z1vhl

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...

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...

Meet the newest cohort of the Young Researchers' Fellowship (YRF) program! 570+ applications. 19 selected TRAs. 4 months of intensive research training & mentorship, with top performers joining us as Research Associates. 🔗 Learn more: bigd.bracu.ac.bd/young-resear...

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...

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

Knowing your rights isn't enough — you have to practice claiming them. A study across 3 cohorts in Bangladesh found youth in accountability-focused civic education showed higher self-belief, political awareness & engagement than those who only received information. 📖 www.emerald.com/qjps/article...

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...

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

On March 12, we hosted a webinar with researchers from our Governance and Politics Cluster to discuss structured pathways into this field, including the Governance and Politics Research Fellowship (GPRF) Program. 🔗 Missed it? You can now watch it on YouTube: youtu.be/1qahsmYFSkk

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

Why does child marriage persist? Dr Imran Matin joins @rglenner.bsky.social & Kehinde Ajayi for this @cgdev.org podcast to discuss what the evidence shows can reduce it, from empowerment programs for girls to cash transfers designed to delay marriage. 🎙️ Listen: www.cgdev.org/blog/cgd-pod...

🎙 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...

On 25 Feb 2026, WEE-DiFine hosted a webinar on designing digital financial services that truly advance women’s economic empowerment. 🎥Missed the session? Watch the full recorded session on our YouTube channel: youtu.be/erU6XuxPlew?...

📢 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...

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...

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...

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.

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).

🆕 How goal setting improves worker performance in small firms: Evidence from cassava processors in Ghana Today on VoxDev w/ Elena Cettolin (Tilburg University), Kym Cole (BRAC Institute of Governance and Development - BIGD) & Patricio Dalton (Tilburg University): https://ow.ly/2rCy50XkcJU

📢 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

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.

Reforming family laws in Bangladesh is challenging. Efforts to change Hindu marriage & inheritance laws face resistance from state & community actors. 📖 Read this study to understand how reformers navigate these obstacles on the @ids.ac.uk website: opendocs.ids.ac.uk/articles/rep...

💡 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...

📖 New blog for Financial Inclusion Week 2025! Tasnuba Sinha writes about lessons learned from Malawi, Chhattisgarh, and Uganda to argue that the next phase of inclusion must focus on resilience. 🔗Read more: bigd.bracu.ac.bd/from-product... #FIW2025 #WEEInitiatives #ResilientFinance

✨ 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

📢 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. 🗓️ Conference Dates: 18-19 Jan 2026 🔗Learn more: shorturl.at/ZKLAO

💡 In Uganda, mobile money boosted women’s personal income and decision-making power, while jointly disclosed cash transfers reduced intimate partner violence by fostering trust and increasing shared earnings. Read today's article to learn more:

If women gain access to phones, mobile wallets, or the internet, why does genuine empowerment remain out of reach? Tasnuba Sinha reflects on the BIGD & @poverty-action.bsky.social hosted Access to Agency: Empowering Women through Digital Inclusion Conference: shorturl.at/Ct3xT