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Essays In Applied Microeconomics, Moon Moon Haque

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation comprises three essays in applied microeconomics. They mostly focused on the evaluation and recommendation of policy issues in the fields of health economics and labor economics, with a direct objective toward to alleviate inequality, and to promote efficient and effective economic policies. The first essay studies how the coverage of health insurance can contribute to obesity (BMI index). First, I extend the the theoretical model of Ehrlich and Becker (1972) to find the relationship between health insurance and obesity; and then supplement the theoretical findings with empirical evidence, using BRFSS data from 2001to 2011 among American young adults. …

Agricultural Trade Liberalisation And Growth In Income Of Rural Household In Bangladesh: A Quintile-Growth Approach To The Analysis Of Distributional Consequences, Dayal Talukder, Love Chile

Economic and Business Review

The study has investigated the growth in income of rural households in Bangladesh with a view to analysing distributional consequences in the post-liberalisation era. Using data from secondary sources, it has applied a quintile-growth approach by dividing each group of households into five income clusters (quintiles) to analyse the incidence of growth in real income. It has found that although all groups of rural households experienced a moderate to high increase in real income, non-farm households experienced a larger increase than farm households due to a large reduction in consumer price. Farm households gained from the increase in productivity but …

Estuarine Macrophytes At Bakkhali, Cox’S Bazar, Bangladesh With Reference To Mangrove Diversity, M. K. Abu Hena, B. Japar Sidik, A. Aysha, H. Ahasan, Frederick T. Short

Jackson Estuarine Laboratory

The diversity and ecosystem significance of macrophyte communities was studied, with emphasis on the mangrove species in the Bakkhali estuary of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Macrophytes of the Bakkhali river estuary were mainly mangroves (Avicennia marina Forssk Vierh and A. alba Blume and Acanthus ilicifolius Linnaeus) of inundation Class-IV; i.e., the mangroves are inundated 2-20 times per month (Watson, 1928), a wild rice variety of salt marsh (Porteresia coarctata Tateoka), Congon grass (Imperata cylindrica P. Beauv.), seagrass (Halophila beccarii Ascherson), macro-algae (Ulva intestinalis Linnaeus, Catenella nipae Zanardini and Hypnea sp.) and mangrove associates Suaeda maritima Only two individual plants of mangrove, …

Regulation Of Recruitment Process And Reduction Of Migration Costs: A Comparative Analysis Of South Asia, Piyasiri Wickramasekara

PIYASIRI WICKRAMASEKARA

The study undertakes a comprehensive review of issues relating to recruitment processes and high migration costs in South Asia with special focus on Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The paper first highlights migration trends in South Asia, and main features of South Asian migration. Next the paper reviews the international normative framework of recruitment covering the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), and the ILO Multilateral Framework on Migration (2006).

The paper reviews the main features and practices of private recruitment agencies and the legislative and regulatory framework covering their operations.

It …

Investigation Into Bacillus Anthracis Spore In Soil And Analysis Of Environmental Parameters Related To Repeated Anthrax Outbreak In Sirajganj, Bangladesh, Md. Murshidul Ahsan, Mohammad Ferdousur Rahman Khan, Md. Bahanur Rahman, Shah Md. Ziqrul Haq Chowdhury, Md. Shafiullah Parvej, Mueena Jahan, K. H. M. Nazmul Hussain Nazir

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The study was conducted for the isolation and detection of Bacillus anthracis spores from soil collected from Sirajganj district (a north-western district of Bangladesh), and to assess the parameters that may relate to the repeated anthrax outbreak. A total of 48 soil samples were collected from the study area during January to November 2012. Endospores were extracted from soil and the Bacillus anthracis was identified using conventional bacteriological, biochemical and sensitivity test against Penicillin-G. The viable B. anthracis spores could be detected from 14 (29.17%) soil samples. Moisture content, pH, calcium and organic carbon contents of the soils were measured …

Numerical Evaluation Of Community-Scale Aquifer Storage, Transfer And Recovery Technology, Jessica Barker

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Communities in the coastal regions of south-western Bangladesh currently experience severe seasonal water scarcity and groundwater sources of unsuitable salinity. Aquifer storage, transfer and recovery (ASTR), using a seasonal surplus of potable water, is being tested as a potential low-cost (less than $8000 USD) water supply alternative for these communities. A variable-density numerical groundwater model was developed to investigate the engineering technical feasibility of small-scale ASTR systems for the coastal communities in Bangladesh and specifically to support future field site selection and system design. The numerical model was calibrated based on an existing ASTR site and applied to explore the …

Global Insider: Despite Challenges, Bangladesh War Crimes Trials Bring Justice, An Interview With Zakia Afrin, Global Insider

Interviews

Last month, a war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh handed down a guilty verdict against Islamist party leader Ghulam Azam, its fifth conviction of a prominent political figure for involvement in atrocities committed during the country’s 1971 war for independence. In an email interview, Zakia Afrin, an adjunct professor in international law at Golden Gate University who focuses on intra-state conflict and peacebuilding, discussed the state of Bangladesh’s war crimes trials and the lessons they yield for other contexts.

Floating Hope, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

It was 1994 when aristocrat Runa Khan and her soon-to-be husband Yves Marre sailed a decommissioned oil barge from the waters off France to her home country of Bangladesh. They had intended to propose to charitable organisations of a revolutionary plan they had: to turn the shipping vessel into a mobile medical station.

The ship would bring medical help to the unreachable islands, or chars, that make up much of Bangladesh. It was a brilliant plan, and would have solved the problem of reaching isolated char communities, most of whom had been neglected by the government and NGOs (non-governmental …

Factors Influencing Diarrheal Pathogen Presence In Tubewells Of Bangladesh, Kati Anne Ayers

Masters Theses

Diarrheal disease pathogens remain a major concern in developing countries as rotavirus is the leading cause of hospitalization of young children worldwide. A recent study has shown shallow groundwater in rural Bangladesh to be contaminated with bacterial and viral pathogens, but found no correlation between rotavirus and any fecal indicator or environmental parameter during the monsoon season of July, 2009. The objectives of this thesis were to examine the non-relationship between pathogens and fecal indicators, as well as to improve the understanding of the seasonal transport of viral pathogens, especially rotavirus, in shallow, sandy aquifers of Bangladesh. This was achieved …

A Subcontinent's Sunni Schism: The Deobandi-Barelvi Rivalry And The Creation Of Modern South Asia, William Kesler Jackson

History - Dissertations

This work presents the first-ever history of the 150-year religio-political rivalry between the Deobandis and the Barelvis--arguably the most important schism in the "Muslim world," and certainly the most significant within Sunni Islam. More recently, that rivalry has often been expressed by means of bullets and bombs, especially in Pakistan. But beyond the headline-grabbing violence of the Deobandi-Barelvi schism lies the story of a century-and-a-half-long religious antagonism: at first over converts, later for competing visions of the political future, then for a place within a new "Islamic" polity--for dominance within its political structure. For Deobandis, the rivalry was defined by …

Cultural Barriers To Maternal Health Care In Rural Bangladesh, Lori Maria Walton Dpt, Ph.D, Bassima Schbley Msw, Ph.D.

Journal of Health Ethics

Bangladesh is a country with over one third of the population living in poverty and another one third living just above poverty level. The World Health Organization (2010) indicates that Bangladesh has poor prenatal and postpartum care, nutritional deficiencies, high incidence of non-skilled birth attendant utilization, and the second highest maternal mortality and morbidity rates next to sub-Saharan Africa. Women living in Bangladesh are at high risk for maternal mortality and morbidity in the postpartum period. Malnourishment, anemia, poverty, lack of skilled birth attendants, and limited prenatal and postpartum care are some of the issues facing women living in rural …

Maternal Healthcare In Bangladesh And Gender Equity: A Review Article, Lori Maria Walton Dpt, Ph.D, Bassima Schbley Msw, Ph.D.

Journal of Health Ethics

Objective: To outline the specific gender equity and socio-economic barriers to maternal health faced by Bangladeshi women.

Background: Bangladesh is a country with over one third of the population living in poverty and another one third living just above poverty level. The World Health Organization (2010) indicates that Bangladesh has poor prenatal and postpartum care, nutritional deficiencies, and the second highest maternal mortality and morbidity rates next to sub-Saharan Africa. Women living in Bangladesh are at high risk for maternal mortality and morbidity in the postpartum period directly related to socio-economic status.

Methods: This is a systematic review and analysis …

Application Of Responsive Regulation In The Food Safety Regulations Of Bangladesh, Abu Noman M. Atahar Ali

Abu Noman Mohammad Atahar Ali

Application of responsive regulation in the food safety regulations of Bangladesh - Abstract Bangladesh, a developing country of the South Asian region, has been suffering from rampant food adulteration for the last few decades. Recent studies revealed that numerous deaths along with countless physical illnesses are occurring as the consequences of this ongoing food adulteration. Several attempts have been made through to change the food safety regulations [FSR] of Bangladesh to combat this alarming issue. Unfortunately, the situation has hardly been changed. Rather it is getting worse day by day. However, Bangladesh has never changed the regulatory enforcement philosophy of …

Reinforcing Demands For Gender Justice: The War Crimes Tribunal Of Bangladesh, Zakia Afrin

Publications

Ferdousi was one of the first women who came forward to acknowledge being a victim of rape and sexual slavery during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. Today she has become part of the youth movement in Bangladesh, known as the Shahbag movement, supporting the International Crimes Tribunal and demanding the maximum penalty for those who are found guilty. In 2010, the Bangladesh Government, led by Sheikh Hasina, set up the International Crimes Tribunal and charged as many as 12 individuals for participating and assisting in war crimes and crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s war of independence from Pakistan. …

Rates Of Shoreline Change Along The Coast Of Bangladesh, Md. Golam Mahabub Sarwar, Colin D. Woodroffe

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Bangladesh, at the confluence of the sediment-laden Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers, supports an enormous and rapidly growing population (>140 million in 2011), across low-lying alluvial and delta plains that have accumulated over the past few thousand years. It has been identified as one of the most vulnerable places in the world to the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise. Although abundant sediment supply has resulted in accretion on some parts of the coast of Bangladesh, others are experiencing rapid erosion. We report a systematic assessment of rates of shoreline change over a 20-year period from 1989 to 2009, …

Asset Ownership And The Probability Of Repayment: An Examination Of Microcredit Data From Bangladesh, Roger White, Shamma Adeeb Alam

Economics

Employing data for 34,255 loans made by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) to 12,455 repeat borrowers during the 2002-6 period, this article examines the relationship between borrowers’ asset holdings and microloan repayment. Estimating a series of binomial probit specifications, it finds a positive relationship between land ownership and loan repayment; however, taken collectively, ownership of non-land assets diminishes the likelihood of repayment. Influences of specific assets on repayment probabilities vary across asset types: ownership of land, corrugated tin houses, vans and rickshaws increases the likelihood of repayment, while ownership of sewing machines, televisions, radios and bicycles corresponds with a …

Challenges Of Rural Microfinance In China - What Can China Learn From Bangladesh And Indonesia?, Shuyang Zhu

Senior Theses and Projects

Given that China has the largest rural population in the world, the demand of finance is very high. On one hand, Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) is moving to serve urban areas, and Rural Credit Cooperatives (RCCs), currently the most important source of formal credit in rural areas, are not doing very promisingly. On the other hand, nongovernmental programs-microfinance institutions (NGO-MFIs) have been performing well in terms of reaching the poor in the remote regions; however, due to the government’s regulations they are only allowed to offer loans but not to take any deposits, thereby limiting their future development and …

Reply To “Response: Board Composition And Firm Performance: Evidence From Bangladesh - A Sceptical View”, Afzalur Rashid, Anura De Zoysa, Sudhir Lodh, Kathy Rudkin

Sudhir Lodh

This paper replies to Chowdhury’s (2010) response to the paper "Board Composition and Firm Performance: Evidence from Bangladesh" (2010). It challenges the strength of the criticisms, arguing that the factors discussed in Chowdhury (2010) do not necessarily impair the outcome of the research. The authors elucidate issues raised, and in so doing, reproduce the results incorporating the commentator’s suggestions.

Ethnicity: Contemporary Ethnicity In The Inner Bluegrass (Fa 601), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Foklife Arhives Project 601. Collection of materials related to Ethnicity, a project documenting ethnic heritage in the inner Bluegrass, sponsored by The Living Arts and Science Center, the Kentucky Folklife Program of the Kentucky Historical Society, and the Lexington Public Library. This collection includes audio and written transcripts of those interviews. Also included are various administrative and program related papers.

Gender Awareness Of Rural Women In Bangladesh, Shahnaj Parveen

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study aims to determine the social status of rural women and their level of gender awareness (GA) in three villages within the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. Data were collected from 156 respondents through group discussions and personal interviews from December 2002 to April 2003. Women’s social status and GA was determined following the Likert scale method. The study reveals that personal income and physical beauty of rural women are the most important factors determining a higher social status while women with distressed conditions including mental and physical disabilities were found to have a lower social status. Among ten pre-selected …

Determinants Of Living Arrangements, Health Status And Abuse Among Elderly Women: A Study Of Rural Naogaon District, Bangladesh, Ahmed Mohammad Munsur, Ismail Tareque, K. M. Mustafizur Rahman

Journal of International Women's Studies

In this study, the socio-economic backdrops, living arrangements, health status and abuse of the women aged 60 years and older in the rural Naogaon district of Bangladesh are examined. The data were collected from seven villages by using probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling and the results show that an overwhelming majority of the elderly women in the age group 60-69 years who are widowed, illiterate, have no education and income, economically dependent, living with married children, unhealthy, suffer from arthritis related illness and are taking treatment from village doctors. Furthermore, the study shows that, nearly 35 percent elderly women …

The Ready-Made Garments Industry In Bangladesh: A Means To Reducing Gender-Based Social Exclusion Of Women?, Nidhi Khosla

Journal of International Women's Studies

Women in Bangladesh have traditionally been excluded from taking part in social, political and economic activities by means of institutions such as the purdah (veil). However, the rise of the ready-made garments industry in Bangladesh since the 1970s has provided women with opportunities to work outside the home for wages. This change coincided with changes such as a decline in the rural sector, increased emphasis on girls’ education and campaigns to improve women’s health and reduce fertility. As a result of these changes, the social exclusion of women has reduced considerably. This paper analyses existing literature on women’s employment in …

Introducing Medical Mr In Bangladesh: Mrm Final Report, Ismat Ara Hena, Ubaidur Rob, Nargis Sultana, Md. Irfan Hossain, Reena Yasmin, Tapash Ranjan Das, Farid Uddin Ahmed

Reproductive Health

The Population Council Bangladesh, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Family Planning and Marie Stopes Bangladesh, with funding from the World Health Organization and the DFID-supported STEP UP project, conducted an 18-month operations research study from January 2012 to June 2013. This operations research tested the feasibility of introducing menstrual regulation with medication (MRM) in Bangladesh and assessed accessibility of the combination regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol in urban and rural health facilities. Based on this study’s results, the feasibility of introducing MRM services in Bangladesh is clear, and women receiving MRM were satisfied with their overall quality of …

Application Of The Responsive Regulation Theory In The Food Safety Regulatory Regime In Bangladesh, Abu Noman Mohammad Atahar Ali

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Bangladesh, a developing country of the South Asian region, has been suffering from a rampant food adulteration problem for the last couple of decades. Recent studies revealed that numerous deaths along with countless physical illness are happening as the consequences of this ongoing food adulteration. Several attempts have been through to change the food safety regulatory regime (FSRR) of Bangladesh to combat this alarming issue. Unfortunately the situation has hardly been changed. Rather it is getting worse day by day. However, Bangladesh has never changed the regulatory enforcement philosophy of its FSRR to combat this severe food safety concern. The …

Understanding Unintended Pregnancy In Bangladesh: Country Profile Report, Fauzia Akhter Huda, Sabiha Chowdhuri, Yolande Robertson, Noushin Islam, Bidhan Krishna Sarker, Ashrafi Jahan Azmi, Laura Reichenbach

Reproductive Health

The objective of this report is to identify the determinants of unintended pregnancy and unmet need for family planning in Bangladesh and therefore provide a strong body of evidence that will contribute to issue identification, evidence generation, and communication for use of evidence in policy and programming. The evidence generated can be used to find ways to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy and hence reduce the risk of abortion-related morbidity and mortality; ultimately this will aid Bangladeshi couples in reaching their fertility goals. Results demonstrate that Bangladesh has shown progress and promise in several areas of family planning and …

Improvising: A Process Of Overcoming Interagency Information Sharing Deficiency In An Aml Regime, Zahurul Haq Md

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the Anti Money Laundering reporting regime in Bangladesh. The study scrutinised the activities of the major components of the Anti Money Laundering reporting system, which is comprised of the reporting entities, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, the study identified the core concern of the persons involved in the reporting process and how this concern was continually being handled. Data was collected for this study through various methods including interviews, literature searches and observations. In order to study this substantive area where little research had been done, the …

A Study On The Possible Impacts Of Climate Change On Food Security In The Central Coastal Area Of Bangladesh, Zubyda Siddika

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Global and local climate changes can affect crop yields in the future. Recent increase of weather related stresses and damages are resulting from an increase in the frequency of climate hazards. However, agriculture in both developing and developed countries depends highly on climate factors (temperature, solar radiation and precipitation) that act as a main driver of rice production. Nevertheless, the relationship of climate variability and rice production could vary in different regions across the world. Bangladesh is perhaps one of the most climatic vulnerable countries because of geographical location and large Gnga-Meghna-Brahmuptra river systems. The costal belt of Bangladesh covers …

Manufacturing Unsafe Foods In Bangladesh: A Legal And Regulatory Analysis, Abu Noman Mohammad Atahar Ali

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Bangladesh has long faced a serious food safety problem. Food manufacturers are producing many unhealthy and adulterated food products, ignoring the regulations deliberately. There are numerous laws as well as several regulatory bodies which deal with this alarming issue but with minimal effectiveness. The current study intends to investigate the relevant food safety regulations in regard to the manufacture of unsafe foods in Bangladesh.

This study observes that the existing regulatory philosophy of the enforcement of the regulations is ineffective in practice. This is because the regulations only offer direct criminal penalty for any kind of contravention. There are no …

Food Safety And Public Health Issues In Bangladesh: A Regulatory, Abu Noman Mohammad Atahar Ali

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

In Bangladesh, most of the foodstuffs, be they manufactured or processed, are unsafe for consumption or adulterated to varying degrees. This problem persists at every level of the food chain from preparation to consumption. Food manufacturers, processors, restaurants, fast food outlets and so forth are all involved in one way or another in this corrupt practice of adulteration. Foods are adulterated by using various harmful chemicals and toxic artificial colours, on the one hand, and rotten perishables turned to poisonous foods are stored, sold and served to consumers in an unhygienic atmosphere, on the other. The unhygienic and unsafe treatment …

Rampant Food Adulteration In Bangladesh: Gross Violations Of Fundamental Human Rights With Impunity, S M. Solaiman, Abu Noman Mohammad Atahar Ali

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Food adulteration in Bangladesh is rampant and an increasingly serious concern for its residents. Several studies including those of the Directorate General of Health Services reveal that hundreds of people are getting killed every year eating adulterated foodstuffs and no one seems to have any real concern about such a life-threatening wrongful act. Food adulteration is criminally prohibited, but the wrongdoers care little about this proscription simply because of the continued apathy of the governmental agencies concerned and implicit acceptance or insensible ignorance of consumers. However, the current fragmented legal and regulatory regime for food safety in Bangladesh falls short …