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Beyond the physical transmission of COVID-19, the pandemic has had far-reaching consequences in Bangladesh, including social and cultural implications. This review paper aimed at identifying and synthesizing the costs of COVID-19 on sociocultural issues in Bangladesh. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic search in MEDLINE, PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar up to August 2021. Studies related to the costs of COVID-19 were identified, tabulated, analyzed, and synthesized by using a thematic approach. Our final synthesis of 19 studies resulted in five analytical themes: (i) disruption in education, (ii) loss of everyday social interaction, (iii) increase of "new poor" and suicide, (iv) rise of violence against women, and (v) worsening the life of refugees. Our findings showed that the costs of disruption in education, loss of everyday social interaction, and increase of "new poor" and suicide were more evident. Finally, we recommend the government and the community to adopt some integrated actions and policies to combat the problems in improving Bangladeshi sociocultural situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protagonists of the present article are Florence-based Bangladeshi children who face the challenges of transnationality along with their families. In light of this condition, their destiny is linked to a gamut of possible solutions: emigrating, staying, re-emigrating, or even going back to Bangladesh. These very options frame the purposes of the article, namely exploring: (a) the perceptions and feelings experienced by Bangladeshi children in relation to migration strategies adopted by their parents, and (b) the implications that transnational mobility may have for their education. To achieve these goals, the paper builds upon the results of a qualitative study, largely supported by micro-narratives gathered during fieldwork conducted with Bangladeshi pupils attending Italian schools in Florence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In connection to food insecurity, adaptation of new techniques or alteration of regular behavior is executed that translates to coping strategies. This paper has used data from food security and nutrition surveillance project (FSNSP), which collects information from a nationally representative sample in Bangladesh on coping behaviors associated with household food insecurity. To complement the current understanding of different coping strategies implemented by the Bangladeshi households, the objective of this paper has been set to examine the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the food insecure households which define their propensity towards adaptation of different types of coping strategies. Methodology: FSNSP follows a repeated cross-sectional survey design. Information of 23,374 food insecure households available from February 2011 to November 2013 was selected for the analyses. Coping strategies were categorized as financial, food compromised and both. Multinomial logistic regression was employed to draw inference. Results: Majority of the households were significantly more inclined to adopt both multiple financial and food compromisation coping strategies. Post-aman season, educational status of the household head and household women, occupation of the household’s main earner, household income, food insecurity status, asset, size and possession of agricultural land were found to be independently and significantly associated with adaptation of both financial and food compromisation coping strategies relative to only financial coping strategies. The relative risk ratio of adopting food compromisation coping relative to financial coping strategies when compared to mildly food insecure households, was 4.54 times higher for households with moderate food insecurity but 0.3 times lower when the households were severely food insecure. Whereas, households were 8.04 times and 4.98 times more likely to adopt both food compromisation and financial relative to only financial coping strategies if moderately and severely food insecure respectively when compared to being mildly food insecure. Conclusion: Households suffering from moderate and severe food insecurity, are more likely to adopt both financial and food compromisation coping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to make a contribution to the study of history and evolution of English in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a young country, twice-split once from India as a part of Pakistan and then from Pakistan as an independent nation. Therefore, to look at the history, we have to look at the history of English education first in India upto 1947, then in Pakistan (1947-1971) and then only in Bangladesh (since 1971 onwards). The paper begins with how English was brought into Bangladesh; language policy and use in Bangladesh; medium of instruction and also shed lights on the current status of English in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether migrants from Bangladesh choose the destination that offers them the highest earnings and whether the relative stock of the skilled migrants in a destination increases with the earnings differences between the skilled and the unskilled. Design/methodology/approach – Using a nationally representative sample of both stayers and migrants from Bangladesh to all destinations and correcting for self-selection bias in earnings using a semi-parametric method developed by Dahl (2002), the author tests whether selection and sorting of Bangladeshi migrants depend on cross-country differences in the rewards to skills as suggested by the Roy (1951) model of comparative advantage. Findings – Migrants from Bangladesh not only choose the destinations that offer the highest earnings but also the destination that offers the highest earnings relative to the skill level of the migrants. Research limitations/implications – Due to the unavailability of data on recruiting agencies, we cannot investigate the role played by recruiting agencies in the migrant’s decision. Social implications – Policy-makers in both the sending and destination countries need to know how migrants choose their destinations in order to formulate effective and welfare-enhancing migration policies. Originality/value – This paper is the first to study how skill composition and earnings shape migration from Bangladesh using micro-level data. It is also the first to study sorting behavior of migrants from any South Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the most important public English examination (matriculation exam) that students take at the end of their secondary education in Bangladesh. The examination is known as the Secondary School Certificate (SSC), which is taken at the end of Grade 10 in the mainstream education in the country. The score of SSC English examination is used as the gatekeeper at the higher secondary (2 years of higher secondary education after matriculation and before tertiary education) and university admission tests. Even though the significance of this English examination is huge from Bangladeshi social, cultural, or economic perspectives, it is highly criticized by the stakeholders and academicians alike. The exam is alleged to fall short to measure the communicative English proficiency of the test users. Accordingly, the reliability of the exam is questionable. However, there is almost no publication or academic paper evaluating the characteristics of the examination which could expand our understanding of the existing problems related to the test. Hence, this review of the SSC English examination examines and describes the features of the examination as it is used in the context from a scholarly point of view, which would constructively pave the way for future researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the factors affecting women's knowledge about food and nutrition in selected areas of rural Bangladesh. Respondents of the study included women who had participated in the BRAC Health Nutrition and Population Programme in the study region of Bangladesh in 2017. The findings revealed that women had a good level of knowledge about food and nutrition. Family size, annual income, and degree of education have significant effects on rural women's understanding of food and nutrition. We recommend developing an integrated approach by the government, extension department, and NGOs to work in collaboration within the rural contexts so that the country meets the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2: achieving food security and improved nutrition. This research will help policymakers in Bangladesh to devise effective strategies for addressing the country's current challenges of nutrition and associated health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snakes are a natural form of pest control that play an essential role in the ecosystem's balance. Snakes can provide an ecological service to people by lowering insect populations that can spread disease and harm agricultural produce. Because snakes assist us in so many ways, they have long been the subject of torture and unfavorable views across cultures, and humans threaten many. However, little is known about how snake charmers in developing nations like Bangladesh are changing their attitudes and behavior toward snakes. This study aims to examine the snake charmer community in northern Bangladesh's changing attitudes and behavior toward snakes. Snake predictors must be better understood to improve conservation efforts. This study examined whether knowledge of mortality from snakebites, experience with snakebites, myth beliefs about snakes, and education level predict attitudes toward snakes in the northern area of Bangladesh. The results of the ordinal regression model revealed that beliefs in hatred, fear, and the myth that snakes are evil are related to less tolerance of snakes. We also examined attitudes that would predict the intended killing of snakes. Snake tolerance was linked to more frequent snake interactions and a lower level of education. Even after controlling for the influence of other psychological and experience-based variables, better snake tolerance and lower education were linked to a decreased risk of purposefully killing snakes. More education and sustainable wildlife management should be used to change people's attitudes and stop them from killing snakes on purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bangladesh had one of the highest burdens of lymphatic filariasis (LF) at the start of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) with an estimated 70 million people at risk of infection across 34 districts. In total 19 districts required mass drug administration (MDA) to interrupt transmission, and 15 districts were considered low endemic. Since 2001, the National LF Programme has implemented MDA, reduced prevalence, and been able to scale up the WHO standard Transmission Assessment Survey (TAS) across all endemic districts as part of its endgame surveillance strategy. This paper presents TAS results, highlighting the momentous geographical reduction in risk of LF and its contribution to the global elimination target of 2020. Methodology/Principal findings: The TAS assessed primary school children for the presence of LF antigenaemia in each district (known as an evaluation unit—EU), using a defined critical cut-off threshold (or ‘pass’) that indicates interruption of transmission. Since 2011, a total of 59 TAS have been conducted in 26 EUs across the 19 endemic MDA districts (99,148 students tested from 1,801 schools), and 22 TAS in the 15 low endemic non-MDA districts (36,932 students tested from 663 schools). All endemic MDA districts passed TAS, except in Rangpur which required two further rounds of MDA. In total 112 students (male n = 59; female n = 53), predominately from the northern region of the country were found to be antigenaemia positive, indicating a recent or current infection. However, the distribution was geographically sparse, with only two small focal areas showing potential evidence of persistent transmission. Conclusions/Significance: This is the largest scale up of TAS surveillance activities reported in any of the 73 LF endemic countries in the world. Bangladesh is now considered to have very low or no risk of LF infection after 15 years of programmatic activities, and is on track to meet elimination targets. However, it will be essential that the LF Programme continues to develop and maintain a comprehensive surveillance strategy that is integrated into the health infrastructure and ongoing programmes to ensure cost-effectiveness and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: The Bangladeshi government has set a plan to generate one-tenth of its electricity from solar and other renewable sources by 2030. Solar adoption surged in Bangladesh up until 2015, setting a global precedent for electrifying areas that were previously unconnected. The enhanced lighting offered by solar systems provides immediate benefits, including additional hours for household and business activities and extended study hours for school-going children. Purpose of the article: This study seeks to identify the determinants and welfare gains of solar adoption in rural areas by analysing three rounds of the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey from 2011-12, 2015, and 2018-19. In addition to presenting new estimates of economic, environmental, and educational welfare gains, our research offers insights into how solar adoption relates to rural employment and the nutrition of children under five. Methods: We utilized both ordinary least squares and propensity score matching techniques to estimate the welfare effects of solar adoption. Only households that do not use electricity as their primary lighting source, such as those relying on solar or kerosene, are considered in our sample. Findings & value added: We have discovered that adopting solar is linked to higher income, increased expenditure, and growth in asset value. Additionally, there is a significant reduction in kerosene expenditure among adopters compared to non-adopters. Other observations reveal that households with solar setups tend to transition from sharecropping to trading and poultry farming. Children in these households also benefit from solar adoption in terms of education and nutrition. This study illustrates how solar energy can effectively address various welfare concerns in areas where the government cannot supply electricity. Given that recent global events have rendered underdeveloped countries more vulnerable to providing consistent electricity to their entire populations, this research suggests solar energy as a resilient electrification solution during crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within a very few years, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has turned out to be an effective educational technology which promotes some dramatic changes in teaching and learning processes. Technologies allow students to work more productively than in the past, but the teacher's role in technology-rich classrooms is more demanding than ever (Keengwe, Onchwari et al. 2008). ICT has the potential to transform the nature of education (improving teachers' design work, enhancing the roles of students and teachers in the learning process and helping to create a collaborative learning environment, etc). Although ICT has the potential to improve the educational system to a great extent, developing countries are far from reaping these benefits because of certain barriers. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of international articles relating to barriers encountered when introducing ICT into classrooms. This review will help identify the factors that influence teachers' decisions whether or not to implement ICT in teaching-learning situations. Connections will be made with existing literature to explore possible barriers for introducing ICT into education in Bangladesh. Further, this paper also offers a number of recommendations to reduce these barriers and maximize the beneficial use of ICT on education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Studies in Population is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper contextualizes the problem of the colonial legacy of British rule over India to some of the current problems Bangladesh is facing in its education, management and corruption issues. It looks to highlight these issues from a management, organization theory, epistemological and educational perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Food for Education (FFE) program was introduced to Bangladesh in 1993. This paper evaluates the effect of this program on school participation and duration of schooling using household survey data collected in 2000. Using propensity score matching combined with difference-in-differences methodologies, we find that the program is successful in that eligible children on average have 15% to 26% higher school participation rates, relative to their counterfactuals who would have been eligible for the program had they lived in the program-eligible areas. Conditional on school participation, participants also stay at school 0.7 to 1.05 years longer than their counterfactuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowing the factors affecting girls' dropping out is very important. In spite of stipends, free schoolbooks and other incentives given by the government, girls' dropout rate at the secondary level is not decreasing as expected in Bangladesh. The key objective of this study is to find out the different factors that affect girls' dropout. The respondents of this research were girls who were 14-30 years old and had dropped out of the secondary level. In this study, the research area was Bharsho village in Naogaon district, Bangladesh. Using the case study method, data for this study were collected from 21-03-2019 to 05-04-2019 from 12 respondents through face-to-face communication, with the help of an unstructured interview schedule. Findings show that several factors are responsible for girls' dropout. These are--early marriage, poverty, pregnancy, distance from home to school, eve-teasing, teachers' maltreatment, negative attitude of society towards girls' acquisition of education, poor academic performance, lack of security and the notion that if a daughter is more educated, it will cause greater difficulty in getting an equally qualified husband. Among these factors, early marriage is the most prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"This paper analyses the impact of three credit programmes--the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), the Bangladesh Rural Development Board's Rural Development-12 (BRDB RD-12), and the Grameen Bank (GB), on current rate of contraception. These programmes are targeted to alleviate poverty by providing group-based credit to the rural poor in creating self employment opportunities. With small credits, these programmes combine family planning activities in terms of consciousness raising, awareness building and motivation. Sample survey data are used to analyse the problem of impact evaluation. The analyses show that the BRAC and the GB programmes have [a] significantly positive impact on the current rate of contraception, while the BRDB RD-12 programme does not have any such impact. It is also found that education, both of female[s] and male[s] separately, and child survivorship have independently positive impact[s] on current contraception.", (excerpt)

Based on the concept of "basic education" from the Declaration of the World Conference on Education for All (WCEFA, Jomtien 1990), this paper explores the impact of the non-formal education programme (NFPE) of the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) in the achievement of basic education for rural Bangladeshi children. Using an instrument developed previously in Bangladesh, three groups with different educational experiences were assessed: (1) children who attended BRAC‘s NFPE; (2) those attending formal school; (3) children who had never attended school. A total of 720 randomly selected children, who live in five rural areas of Bangladesh were assessed in this study. Of the four components of basic education, BRAC children did significantly better in life skills and writing than their peers in formal schools. Equal performance was observed in reading and numeracy. Although the children who had never attended school in general did poorly, some had developed life skills knowledge and more than half had acquired numeracy skills. This study concludes that BRAC‘s education programme has a positive impact on basic education in rural Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cause-specific under-five mortality of Bangladesh has been studied by fitting cumulative incidence function (CIF) based Fine and Gray competing risk regression model (1999). For the purpose of analysis, Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2011 data set was used. Methods: Three types of mode of mortality for the under-five children are considered. These are disease, non-disease and other causes. Product-Limit survival probabilities for the under-five child mortality with log-rank test were used to select a set of covariates for the regression model. The covariates found to have significant association in bivariate analysis were only considered in the regression analysis. Results: Potential determinants of under-five child mortality due to disease is size of child at birth, while gender of child, NGO (non-government organization) membership of mother, mother's education level, and size of child at birth are due to non-disease and age of mother at birth, NGO membership of mother, and mother's education level are for the mortality due to other causes. Conclusion: Female participation in the education programs needs to be increased because of the improvement of child health and government should arrange family and social awareness programs as well as health related programs for women so that they are aware of their child health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of introducing mobile learning has dramatically reshaped teaching and learning processes in education (Hwang & Chang, 2011; Marwan, Madar, & Fuad, 2014; Wu, Hwang, Su, & Huang, 2012). The use of smart phones offers a powerful learning environment and can transform the learning and teaching process so that students can deal with knowledge in an active, self-directed and constructive way (Cheon, Lee, Crooks, & Song, 2012). At present the smart phone is considered an important means to promote new methods of instruction (teaching and learning). It can be used to develop students' skills for cooperation, communication, problem solving and lifelong learning (Gikas & Grant, 2013). By adopting mobile internet, we can offer high quality education. Chhachhar, Makhijani, Khushk, and Maher (2013) identified four distinct faces of quality education, which can be supported by ICT: learning by doing, real time conversation, delayed time conversation and directed instruction. Higgins and Associates (2003) and Rau, Gao, and Wu (2008) suggested that the use of ICT and mobile internet could improve performance, teaching, and administration, have a positive impact on education as a whole. The information and communication technology (ICT) revolution brings specific challenges to education systems around the world. Due to its easy accessibility this means of education using ICT has become very popular all over the world. In this present world the smart phone is part and parcel of the modern communication system. With the benefits of the internet service, especially mobile internet service like 3G and 4G, the worlds' information is on hand to everyone. This paper intends to present an idea about mobile internet based education all over the globe and its applicability in Bangladesh along with investigating the developing progress of ICT in educational institutions and educational organization related activities and provides comprehensive recommendations to build better learning in Bangladesh in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify the main factors hindering the achievement of universal primary education (Millennium Development Goal 2) for children in Rural Bangladesh using a large household survey data. It empirically examine factors affecting the grade-transition and the labor force participation of children aged 7-14 years in rural Bangladesh using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 3 2005-2006 data. It addresses following important questions: (i) effects of family background and resources and child-specific characteristics on the grade-transition and child labor and (ii) whether these effects vary across grade levels. It uses the bivariate probit model to jointly estimate the grade-transition and the labor force participation equations. Results show that parental education has a significant positive effect on the grade-transition and a significant negative effect on the labor force participation. Children of more educated parents are more likely to transit to the next grade and just study and are less likely to participate in the labor force, combine study and work, and just work. It also finds that the positive effect of mother's education on the probability of gradetransition and just study is larger on children in higher grades. On the other hand, it has a greater negative effect on the probability of just work on children in higher grades. Overall results show that father's education has greater effect on the grade-transition in lower grades, while mother's education has greater effect on the grade-transition in higher grades. Results suggest that birth-order has larger effect on the grade-transition and the labor force participation of children in lower grades. First-born children in lower grades are less likely to transit to the next grade and just study. On the other hand, they are more likely to participate in the labor force, combine study and work, and just work. Similarly, results show that children who experienced interruptions in schooling in lower grades are more likely to participate in the labor force and combine study and work, and are less likely to just study compared to children who experienced interruptions in schooling in higher grades. Results suggest that low parental education level and significant resource constraints both in terms of wealth and time are main obstacles in achieving the goal of universal primary education for children. Many children lack adequate learning environment at home, in part due to low parental educational attainment. There is an urgent need to focus on increasing the capacity, financial and non-financial, of rural households. Conditional cash transfers, micro-finance programs, interest-free educational loans, and scholarships, particularly targeted towards poorer households and female students, will enhance educational investments and reduce child labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive education (IE) has been recognized as a key strategy to ensure education for all in the developing world for the last two decades. As a developing country, Bangladesh is striving to address IE by undergoing various initiatives such as policy reform, awareness creation and teacher development. This paper based on a qualitative approach attempts to explore pre-service teachers' responses to include students with special educational needs (SEN) in regular classrooms in primary schools. A one-on-one interview was conducted with 20 pre-service teachers who were enrolled in a teacher education program of one public university in Bangladesh. The findings revealed from the study indicate that majority of the preservice teachers have unfavourable attitudes to include students with SEN in regular classrooms. Misconception and lack of knowledge about disabilities are revealed from most of the pre-service teachers' responses. Further large class size, high workloads, inflexible curriculum policy of primary education and inadequate experiential learning facilities of teacher education program are identified as barriers to IE reform. Several issues are discussed as implications in order to promote better inclusive practices in regular primary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses an applied general equilibrium framework in which family labor use, including the labor of male and female children, is incorporated to examine the effect of income subsidy schemes designed to encourage schooling of children on intra-household resource allocation within rural households in Bangladesh. Various subsidy schemes that are tied to hours of schoolwork by girls or all children are examined under existing preferences and under altered preferences that increase the desire for schooling. The effects of these subsidy schemes are compared to a general income subsidy as well as a scenario where the demand for increased paid domestic work, which often is female child intensive, increases. It is found that household welfare increases most when a subsidy is combined with households altering their preferences by placing greater value on the education of girls. The success of policy experiments that have combined advocacy and educational reform with economic incentives can be explained from this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ilkogretim Online is the property of Ilkogretim Online and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To assess the perspectives of Bangladeshi teachers on the feasibility of delivery and potential for long-term sustainability of puberty and menstruation education in urban and rural schools. We developed a multi-module puberty and menstrual hygiene management education curriculum that teachers piloted for six months in four urban and rural government and private schools in Bangladesh. We conducted monthly assessments during piloting, discussion for manual revision and four group discussions with 20 participating teachers to understand perceived benefits, barriers, and sustainability of puberty and menstruation education among school children. Teachers acknowledged the importance of school-based puberty and menstruation education to improve students' perception and preparedness. They found that the training and instructors' manual they received were useful tools for effectively communicating with students. Teachers noted school and community pressure to de-emphasize educational content not included on nationally standardized examinations, and insufficient time and pre-service training for teaching sensitive topics served as barriers to implementing the pilot curriculum. Pressure from school authorities and community may hinder the successful long-term delivery of school-based puberty and menstruation education programs that are external to the national curriculum. Our findings indicate that feasibly and sustainably improving education on these topics in Bangladeshi classrooms should be achieved through 1) revision of the current national curriculum to incorporate more comprehensive puberty and menstruation information including its physiology, management, and social context, 2) adequate training and support for teachers to deliver the content, and 3) incorporation of puberty and menstruation content into students' national examinations which may better ensure teachers are given the tools and opportunity to prioritize teaching this content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We report relationship of wealth indices with self-reported diabetes data in Bangladeshi people. As a secondary objective we examine whether educational achievement can be used as a proxy of wealth indices. Methods: We have analyzed data of a nationally representative STEPS survey (STEPwise Surveillance of NCD risk factors) done in 2010 in 8808 adults selected at their households using a multistage cluster sampling approach to describe association of socioeconomic status with diabetes mellitus. We created wealth indices using principal component analysis based on a 20-item household asset items; and then divided subjects in to quartiles. Results: Prevalence of documented diabetes was 3.9% but it was more than 11 times (9.3%) in the fourth quartile (richest) compared to the first quartile (0.8%). This may either mean that the detection rate is higher among the higher socioeconomic group or there are some intervening factors accompanied by the economic achievements that favors occurrence or detection of diabetes in Bangladeshi adults. Conclusion: Future studies need to identify the factor(s) that provides such a putative effect. Educational achievement also has shown similar trend. Therefore, education might be a proxy variable to determine socioeconomic status instead of a long list of household asset items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, Bangladesh government has accomplished the ambitious project of establishing hospitals 18,000 Community Health Clinics in sub-districts across the country. Operating under the affiliation of the government hospitals, these community health clinics aim to provide free healthcare services and to increase health-awareness among the extreme poor communities in the rural areas. However, a great proportion of the people are still not well aware of the services offered by the community health clinics. Thus, it is imperative to identify the factors of awareness regarding the community clinics. Research-based evidence is necessary to improve the efficacy and service coverage of community clinics among key population. Methods: Cross-sectional data of size 11,673 women aged 15 to 49 years living in rural settings across seven divisions were extracted from the latest Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014. The main outcome measures of our study were awareness and utilization of Community Clinic Services (CCs). Descriptive statistics were used to present the baseline socio-demographic and economic characteristics; Chi-square test and logistic regression were performed to identify the factors associated with awareness of community clinics. Results: About one-third (36.7%) of the women were aware of community clinics. Geographical location, level of education, household wealth status and frequency of reading newspaper were found to be significantly associated with awareness about community clinic services. Services reported to be obtained in the community clinics include family planning, immunization, tetanus, antenatal care, vitamin A, and health care for children and child growth monitoring. In the multivariate logistic regression, the odds of awareness among participants with primary education [p<0.001, AOR = 1.255, 95%CI = 1.107–1.357], secondary qualification [p<0.001, AOR = 1.370, 95%CI = 1.242–1.510] and tertiary [p<0.001, AOR = 1.526, 95%CI = 1.286–1.809] had approximately 23%, 37% and 53% respectively higher odds of awareness when compared to those with no formal education. Compared to the women living in richest households, odds of awareness were approximately 12.5%, 12.8%, 4.5% and 22.4% respectively higher among women reported in poorer, middle, richer and richest household wealth status when compared to poorest wealth status. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that policies enhancing improved education could benefit health awareness. Poverty elimination and income generation programs among women are also likely to improve awareness about community health clinics in the target population. Special policy attention is required to address the regional variation of awareness about Community clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2007, the Government of Bangladesh incorporated a chapter on HIV/AIDS into the national curriculum for an HIV-prevention program for school students. For the efficient dissemination of knowledge, an intervention was designed to train the teachers and equip them to educate on the topic of HIV/AIDS. The present study intended to understand the impact of this intervention by assessing the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to HIV/AIDS, among the targeted students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with the students at randomly selected schools from two adjacent districts. Considering exposure to intervention, one district was assigned for intervention and the other as a control. In total, 1,381 students, aged 13–18 years (or above) were interviewed, 675 from the control areas and 706 from the intervention areas. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed on the collected data. Results: A significantly higher proportion (p<0.001) of students in the intervention areas attended HIV/AIDS classes, demonstrated better knowledge and fewer misconceptions regarding the transmission and prevention of HIV. The same was derived regarding their attitude towards people living with HIV, as a higher proportion (p<0.001) responded positively, compared to the control groups of the study. Additionally, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that students in intervention area were more likely to have good knowledge on HIV transmission (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.74–4.22) and prevention (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.41–3.26) compared to the students in the control areas. Conclusions: The training programme needs to be scaled up, since it is likely to have an impact among students; we have witnessed that the interventions particularly helped increase HIV/AIDS knowledge among students and positively change the students’ attitudes towards HIV/AIDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies can compromise the development potential of school-aged children, and their later health and productivity as adults. School feeding and school-based fortification approaches have been utilized globally to redress nutritional deficiencies in this age group. Objective: We explored the acceptability and micronutrient impact of a Bangladesh Government supported school-based micronutrient fortification program for children attending rural primary schools in 10 disadvantaged sub-districts. Methods: We applied a mixed methods approach. The quantitative component assessed the impact of micronutrient fortification on 351 children aged 6–11 years using a cohort pre-post research design with a control group. The qualitative component explored the acceptability of the intervention using focus group discussions, body mapping and semi-structured interviews with teachers, school-going children and school authorities. Results: Daily consumption of fortified biscuits by primary school children had a significant positive impact on mean levels of iron, folic acid, vitamin B12, retinol and vitamin D controlling for sex, baseline deficiency status, CRP, and H. pylori. Levels of anemia and vitamin D deficiency were also significantly reduced. Qualitative findings indicated the widespread acceptability of the daily biscuit. Teachers perceived students to be more attentive in class, less tired, and some attributed better school performance to biscuit consumption. Children reported similar improvements in concentration and energy levels. Conclusions: This study is among the first in Bangladesh to comprehensively assess a school-based fortification program in terms of its acceptability and impact on micronutrient status of children aged 6–11 years of age. While results strongly support this modality of school feeding, research on the cognitive impacts of micronutrient fortified biscuits will help clarify the case for scaled-up investments in school- based feeding program in Bangladesh and other low and middle income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health literacy (HL) helps individuals to make effective use of available health services. In low-income countries such as Bangladesh, the less than optimum use of services could be due to low levels of HL. Bangladesh's health service delivery is pluralistic with a mix of public, private and informally trained healthcare providers. Emphasis on HL has been inadequate. Thus, it is important to assess the levels of HL and service utilization patterns. The findings from this study aim to bridge the knowledge gap.Materials and Methods: The data for this study came from a cross-sectional survey carried out in September 2014, in Chakaria, a rural area in Bangladesh. A total of 1500 respondents were randomly selected from the population of 80,000 living in the Chakaria study area of icddr, b (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh). HL was assessed in terms of knowledge of existing health facilities and sources of information on health care, immunization, diabetes and hypertension. Descriptive and cross-tabular analyses were carried out.Results: Chambers of the rural practitioners of allopathic medicine, commonly known as 'village doctors', were mentioned by 86% of the respondents as a known health service facility in their area, followed by two public sector community clinics (54.6%) and Union Health and Family Welfare Centres (28.6%). Major sources of information on childhood immunization were government health workers. Almost all of the respondents had heard about diabetes and hypertension (97.4% and 95.4%, respectively). The top three sources of information for diabetes were neighbours (85.7%), followed by relatives (27.9%) and MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) doctors (20.4%). For hypertension, the sources were neighbours (78.0%), followed by village doctors (38.2%), MBBS doctors (23.2%) and relatives (15%). The proportions of respondents who knew diabetes and hypertension control measures were 40.9% and 28.0%, respectively. More females knew about the control of diabetes (44.4% to 36.6%) and hypertension (31.1% to 24.2%) than males.Conclusions: A low level of HL in terms of modern health service facilities, diabetes and hypertension clearly indicated the need for a systematic HL programme. The relatively high levels of literacy concerning immunization show that it is possible to enhance HL in areas with low levels of education through systematic awareness-raising programmes, which could result in higher service coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To assess factors associated with disability in a rural district of Bangladesh. Methods: Using a population-based systematic sampling technique, data were collected from 3104 adults aged ≥ 30 years from the Banshgram union of Narail district. Data collected included an interviewer administered questionnaire to report physical disabilities including impairment that prevents engagement with paid work, visual, hearing, and mobility as well as mental disabilities. Socio-demographic and anthropometric factors including educational attainment and body mass index, as well as clinical factors such as blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose were also collected. Binary and multinomial logistic regression techniques were used to explore the association of various socio-demographic and clinical factors with disability. Results: The mean (SD), minimum and maximum ages of the participants were 51 (12), 30 and 89 years. Of total participants, 65% were female. The prevalence of disability varied from 29.1% for visual impairment (highest) to 16.5% for hearing, 14.7% for movement difficulties and 1.6% (lowest) for any other disability that prevented engagement with paid work. Overall, the prevalence of a single disability was 28.6% and that of two or more disabilities was 14.7%. Older age, gender (female), lower socio-economic status (SES), and hypertension were associated with a higher prevalence of most of the disability components. The prevalence of hearing problems (24.5% vs. 13.3%, p<0.001) and movement difficulties (24.9% vs. 13.0%, p<0.001) was significantly higher among lower-income participants than their higher-income counterparts after controlling for age. Prevalence of visual impairment (54.6% vs. 9.2%, p<0.001), hearing (32.2% vs. 6.7%, p<0.001) and movement difficulties (29.2% vs. 5.5%, p<0.001) were significantly higher in people of aged 60 years or older than those aged 30–34 years. After multivariate adjustment, the prevalence of single disability (prevalence risk ratio [PRR] 1.25, 95% CI: 1.09–1.42, p<0.001), and multiple disabilities (PRR 1.41, 95% CI 1.14–1.73, p<0.001) was higher among females than males. The prevalence of single disability and multiple disabilities was respectively 21% (PRR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.02–1.42, p<0.001) and 88% (PRR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.38–2.54, p<0.001) higher among participants with low educational attainment (primary level or less) than those with at least a secondary level of education. Conclusions: In rural Bangladesh, the prevalence of disability is high. Public health programs should target those of low SES, older age, and female participants and aim to provide necessary supports in order to bridge disability-related inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Reliance on out-of-pocket payment for healthcare may lead poor households to undertake catastrophic health expenditure, and risk-pooling mechanisms have been recommended to mitigate such burdens for households in Bangladesh. About 88% of the population of Bangladesh depends on work in the informal sector. We aimed to estimate willingness-to-pay (WTP) for CBHI and identify its determinants among three categories of urban informal workers rickshaw-pullers, shopkeepers and restaurant workers. Methods: The bidding game version of contingent valuation method was used to estimate weekly WTP. In three urban locations 557 workers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire during 2010 and 2011. Multiple-regression analysis was used to predict WTP by demographic and household characteristics, occupation, education level and past illness. Results: WTP for a CBHI scheme was expressed by 86.7% of informal workers. Weekly average WTP was 22.8 BDT [Bangladeshi Taka; 95% confidence interval (CI) 20.9–24.8] or 0.32 USD and varied significantly across occupational groups (p = 0.000) and locations (p = 0.003). WTP was highest among rickshaw-pullers (28.2 BDT or 0.40 USD; 95% CI: 24.7–31.7), followed by restaurant workers (20.4 BDT 0.29 USD; 95% CI: 17.0–23.8) and shopkeepers (19.2 BDT or 0.27 USD; 95% CI: 16.1–22.4). Multiple regression analysis identified monthly income, occupation, geographical location and educational level as the key determinants of WTP. WTP increased 0.196% with each 1% increase in monthly income, and was 26.9% lower among workers with up to a primary level of education versus those with higher than primary, but less than one year of education. Conclusion: Informal workers in urban areas thus are willing to pay for CBHI and socioeconomic differences explain the magnitude of WTP. The policy maker might think introducing community-based model including public-community partnership model for healthcare financing of informal workers. Decision making regarding the implementation of such schemes should consider worker location and occupation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has challenged the traditional notion of literacy as print-based reading and writing. In this article, I discuss why integration of ICTs into language and literacy curricula is important from the perspectives of the pedagogy of multiliteracies and sociocultural theories of learning. After reviewing the state of ICT use in language and literacy education in Bangladesh, I argue that the use of ICTs does not automatically guarantee improved student learning. On the contrary, it may reify transmission models of education and situate teachers and students in certain identity positions as passive consumers of pre-packaged curricula. Building on Althusser's notion of interpellation, I give an example of how a top-down ICT-integrated curriculum may severely restrict teachers' and students' agency to interrogate assumptions about power and politics around schooling and to develop a language of critique and hope. I conclude the article with a call for integrating the principles of critical pedagogy into teachers' professional development programs so that teachers may learn to use ICTs in liberatory ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Notwithstanding the significant progress in reducing maternal mortality in recent years, social inequalities in the utilization of maternal care continue to be a challenge in Bangladesh. In this study, we aim to provide a comprehensive analysis of trends in social inequalities in utilization of antenatal care (ANC), facility based delivery (FBD), and skilled birth attendance (SBA) in Bangladesh between 1995 and 2010. Methods Data were extracted from the five latest rounds of Bangladesh Demographic Health Surveys (BDHS). The Theil index (T) and between-group variance (BGV) were used to calculate relative and absolute disparities in the utilization of three measures (ANC, FBD, and SBA) of maternal care across six administrative regions. The relative and slope indices of inequality (RII and SII, respectively) were also used to calculate wealth- and education-based inequality in the utilization of maternal care. Results The results of the T-index suggest that relative inequality in SBA has declined by 0.2% per year. Nevertheless, the estimated BGV demonstrated that absolute inequalities in all three measures of maternal care have increased across administrative divisions. For all three measures of maternal care, the RII and SII indicated consistent socioeconomic inequalities favouring wealthier and more educated women. The adjusted RII suggested that wealth- and education-related inequalities for ANC declined by 9% and 6%, respectively, per year during the study period. The adjusted SII, however, showed that wealth- and education-related inequalities for FBD increased by 0.6% per year. Conclusions Although socially disadvantaged mothers increased their utilization of care relative to mothers of higher socioeconomic status, the absolute gap in utilization of care between socioeconomic groups has increased over time. Our findings indicate that wealthier and more educated women, as well as those living in urban areas, are the major users of ANC, FBD and SBA in Bangladesh. Thus, priority focus should be given to implementing and evaluating interventions that benefit women who are poorer, less educated and live in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcredit has been shown to be effective in reducing poverty in many developing countries. However, less is known about its effect on human capital formation. In this article, we examine the impact of access to microcredit on children's education and child labor using a new and large data set from rural Bangladesh. The results show that household participation in a microcredit program may increase child labor and reduce school enrollment. The adverse effects are more pronounced for girls than boys. Younger children are more adversely affected than their older siblings and the children of poorer and less educated households are affected most adversely. Our findings remain robust to different specifications and methods, and when corrected for various sources of selection bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor boys have been left behind by public policy efforts to expand school access in Bangladesh -- the same policies which have succeeded in attracting girls to school. This article draws on original research to explore the failure to tackle the exclusion of poor boys from school, arguing that paid work has become more attractive in a context in which education is of poor quality and there are no social sanctions against child labour. Recently there has been a shift of policy attention towards poor boys, amidst concerns about security, militancy and Islamic education. Given steady economic growth, poor boys may not necessarily inherit deeper poverty, but in the absence of state or social sanctions against child labour, they are likely to inherit a position at the lower end of the social scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The national language Bangla (Bengali), which is spoken by 98% of the people, is foundational to the nation of Bangladesh as a nation. Language played a crucial role in the struggle for independence from Pakistan which was finally successful in 1971. The medium of instruction in state‐provided basic education is Bangla. Nevertheless, as in the colonial period a significant part of the elite is educated in English medium schools and subject to British‐determined curriculum and assessment. English medium private education carries the highest prestige, and the private sector is dominant in secondary education. The role of English is now being enhanced by globalization, which threatens a cultural recolonization of Bangladesh, and by World Bank strategies designed to promote the private school sector. The article discusses these problems and explores elements of a language policy that might be able to enhance both Bangla literacy and competence in English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To provide and assess trends on the status of women in Bangladesh in terms of key macro level indicators namely, women's labour force participation, educational attainments and earnings vis-à-vis men. Design/methodology/approach - The trends in women's workforce participation, educational attainments and earnings compared with those of men are evaluated on the basis of descriptive statistics. Correlation and regression techniques are used to examine the relationship between women's education and workforce participation, and to predict the equalisation of female-male educational attainment. Findings - The study finds evidence of growing commercialisation of women's work in Bangladesh. Although most women in the workforce are self-employed or employed in low-skill jobs, their participation in high skill and entrepreneurial jobs as well as policy-making bodies is on the rise While gender wage differentials have been considerably reduced in many industries, in general, women tend to be paid less than men. There have been remarkable improvements in women's educational attainments. Further, female education is found to be positively correlated with their workforce participation. Overall, the findings indicate an improvement in women's status in Bangladesh. Research limitations/implications - The suggested relationship between women's education and employment needs to be further investigated using rigorous econometric techniques in order to distinguish between productivity-enhancing effects of education and other determinants of increased female employment (FEMPL). Practical implications - The research should be a useful reference to international and domestic policy-makers as well as members of the academia and future researchers on the issue. Originality/value - This study represents the first of its kind in the Bangladesh context. It provides valuable information about, and an independent assessment of, women's status in Bangladesh at the national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the transition from non-formal to formal education in Bangladesh. Focus on the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Education Program; Five-year cycle of primary education in the country; Establishment of non-formal schools by BRAC.

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The article reports on the educational policy in Bangladesh from 1978 to 1981. It examines the main thrust of educational policy-making in the country during the period and compares policy goals and achievements. The article suggests that the wider socio-political context in which educational policy is formulated and carried out is the underlying reasons for the persistent gap between policy goals and implementation. The study shows that throughout the first decade of Independence governments in Bangladesh have consistently committed themselves to educational policies which aim to open up educational opportunities for the mass of the people.

The article examines the potential for the World Bank's educational scheme in the context of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government launched its universal primary education program from the beginning of 1980. The program aims to increase the access to basic schooling for children and to functional literacy for adults. Meanwhile, the educational scheme of the Bank emphasizes access, equality of opportunity and efficiency in education. The author suggests that both the government of Bangladesh and the World Bank are correct in identifying basic education as the most significant need in the education system of Bangladesh. However, he claims that the expansion of formal primary schooling is not the best way to solve illiteracy in the country.

The Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) framework is an evidence‐based set of cost‐effective, integrated tools for training health and community workers to promote optimal nutrition practices for the first 1,000 days. This ENA pilot project (ENAPP) was implemented with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding from August 2008 to September 2009 in six unions of the working area of an existing USAID‐funded, Title II programme in southern Bangladesh. ENAPP, which targeted governmental and non‐governmental service providers, was intended to strengthen the behaviour change component of the nutrition strategy of this project. Following a qualitative review of ENAPP's activities, this evaluation uses administrative (growth monitoring) data and propensity score matching of pre‐intervention characteristics to create multiple counterfactuals for difference‐in‐difference estimations of the impact of ENAPP on child nutritional status. Records indicated that government and community healthcare workers received intensive training, and these staff reported that they could effectively integrate ENA messages into their existing responsibilities. Both longitudinal and cross‐sectional analyses indicate that ENAPP was successful in increasing children's weight‐for‐age z‐scores, and the difference in z‐scores between the treatment and the comparison group increased with time. The materials and methods used in this pilot project should be scaled up, based on the success of these tools and the project's ability to link with and influence the local health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has brought about significant changes to the the learning process, prompted by the shift away from traditional physical classrooms to virtual ones. With unequal access to remote learning technologies, there are concerns regarding undergraduate students' academic progress. A primary survey was conducted to create a composite learning score to quantify learning losses. A significantly higher learning loss is visible among students belonging to families facing income losses during the pandemic, and public university students. We find that compared to India, students of Bangladesh and Pakistan are affected more severely in terms of learning losses. The article also measures the extent of psychological distress and academic demotivation related to online learning. We find that the same groups of students face higher psychological distress and academic demotivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]