Publication

We conducted an experimental intervention in unelectrified areas of northern Bangladesh to investigate the effectiveness of solar products in improving children’s educational achievement. We found that treated households substituted solar lanterns for kerosene-based lighting products to a significant extent, helping to decrease total household expenditure. Solar lanterns increased the children’s home-study hours, particularly at night […]

For a country like Bangladesh, skill development programs are of top policy importance; and adequately planning for such programs are crucial policy concerns. The country is currently enjoying the youth bulge or popularly known as demographic dividend – a large youth workforce (especially workforce aged 15 to 24) compared to its dependent population. The age […]

This study examines the demand of microcredit among ultra-poor households in northern Bangladesh. We implemented a field experiment to identify what type of credit is best suited to their demand. We found that the uptake rate by the ultra-poor is the lowest for regular small cash credit, followed by in-kind credit. We also found that […]

Despite continuous efforts to improve the coverage, the access to electricity remains insufficient in many developing countries, particularly in geographically challenged locations, due mostly to the high cost of grid extension. To rigorously investigate the effectiveness of solar products as an alternative in remote areas, we conducted a randomized controlled trial in river islands of […]

This volume uniquely addresses the mismatch between credit repayments and income seasonality, which can create serious distortions. Typically, Micro-Finance Institutes (MFIs) do not provide any adjustments due to the income seasonality. For instance, in Northern Bangladesh, income and consumption downfalls during the time of post-Aman rice plantation season are a regular phenomenon, locally known as […]

This paper investigates the relationship between access to micro-credit and temporary seasonal migration, an issue which is largely ignored in the standard rural-urban migration literature. Seasonal migration due to agricultural downturns is a common phenomenon in developing countries. Using primary data from a cross-sectional household survey from the northwest part of Bangladesh, this study quantifies […]