The Annual BIDS Conference on Development (ABCD) 2024 starts today (Saturday) at the Lakeshore Hotel in the capital.
This four-day conference, organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), will continue till Dec 10, and focus on the theme "Equality, Opportunity, Freedom, and Dignity: Restructuring Institutions for Equitable and Sustainable Development", according to a press statement.
The conference is set to bring together leading national and international scholars, policymakers and practitioners to discuss critical issues shaping the future of development.
A platform for the dissemination of bleeding-edge research and ideas, ABCD 2024 will feature 30 academic papers, 12 public lectures and two keynote addresses, covering a wide range of topics, including poverty, equality, climate, energy, health, urbanization, education and structural transformations.
Wahiduddin Mahmud, adviser to the Ministry of Planning, and the Ministry of Education, is expected to inaugurate the event as chief guest.
In his special address on 'Equality', Mahmud will share his insights on the need for equitable development in reshaping societal institutions.
Chief Economist of the World Bank Group Indermit Gill alongside Somik V. Lall, Director of the World Development Report 2024, will address inaugural session on "The Middle-Income Trap".
Keynote sessions will be a major highlight of the event.
On the first day, Ravi Kanbur, a distinguished professor at Cornell University, will deliver lecture on 'Equality and Opportunity', while on the third day, Stefan Dercon, a professor at the University of Oxford, will explore whether Bangladesh can "Renew its Elite Bargain for Development."
Rehman Sobhan, chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, will discuss the "Agenda for Economic and Social Reform."
M. A. Sattar Mandal, Professorial Fellow at BIDS, will tackle the complexities of "Corporate Agriculture."
Meanwhile, Jessica Leight, Senior Research Fellow at IFPRI, will speak on "Structural Transformation and Its Effect on Growth and Poverty."
Yasuyuki Sawada, a former chief economist at the Asian Development Bank, will share lessons from the field on "Building Resilience among the Poor".
Academic sessions will delve deeply into a wide array of critical themes, including technology, supply chain management, agricultural productivity, health, energy, and the environment.
Research findings based on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022 will shed new light on the poverty in Bangladesh, while studies on the dignity of marginalized communities will provide a human-centric perspective on development challenges.
The ABCD conference offers a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and exchange ideas that could shape future policies for equitable and sustainable development.
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