High inflation intensifies pandemic impacts on the poor

Covid-19 pandemic has left many long-term multidimensional impacts on Bangladesh's poor people which were further intensified by the unremitting high inflation, speakers observed at a roundtable on Tuesday.

Besides economic crisis, they are also facing social dilemma, as their children's huge learning gaps still remain unmet and many dropouts are yet to resume their education as well, they viewed.

Keeping these in view, they suggested paying special attention to the government policies associated with these for the sake of achieving Bangladesh's long-term socio-economic development.

The roundtable titled "Responses to Social and Political Impact of Covid-19 in Bangladesh: What do we know so far?" was organised by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at BRAC Conference Centre in the city's Mohakhali area.

Executive Director of BIGD Imran Matin moderated the discussion while Sohela Nazneen, programme lead of Covid-19 Learning, Evidence and Research Programne in Bangladesh (CLEAR), made a presentation on some ongoing studies to gauge the long- term impacts of the pandemic. The CLEAR is a policy-oriented research programme funded by FCDO-Bangladesh that explores the social and political impacts of Covid-19, which was launched nearly one and half year ago, said Ms Nazneen.

It is currently funding seven research projects that explore the multidimensional nature of the impacts on the new poor and disadvantaged groups and state responses to meet these diverse needs, she added.

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