The document summarizes research being conducted in Bangladesh to identify and prioritize interventions that will help the country achieve its development goals. It discusses: 1) A collaboration between economists and experts to source 100+ ideas on policies and investments for Bangladesh, with a focus on issues like urbanization. 2) Roundtable discussions in Dhaka organized by the Copenhagen Consensus Center and BRAC to identify smarter solutions to Bangladesh's problems. 3) A process to research the economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of different ideas, get peer reviews from experts, and conduct outreach activities to determine priority interventions for the government and donors.

1. Urbanization
Research Ideas
Dhaka
June, 2015

2. Bangladesh Priorities
WORKING WITH 30-50 economists including Nobel Laureates, 100+
sector experts engaging major development organizations, NGOs,
government, businesses, youths, rural and urban Bangladeshis to
identify, analyze and prioritize interventions that will deliver greater
benefit per taka spent, helping move Bangladesh towards Vision 2021
and a more prosperous long term future.

3. In cooperation with the Research
and Evaluation Division of BRAC,
Copenhagen Consensus Center
organized roundtable discussions
with an aim to figure out smarter
solutions to the most problematic
issues facing Bangladesh.
These roundtables are
one of several sources
for research ideas.
Sourcing ideas and solutions
Smarter solutions for Bangladesh
Complete set of papers
on 30-50 solutions
PRIORITIZATION
Government NGOs
Academia Pvt sector
Think tanks
Development
organizations
Eminent Panel
Assessment
Government and
donor seminars
Rural polls
Newspaper polls
among readers
Youth forums
across the country
Private sector
meetings
Social, economic and
environmental benefit-cost
research by top Bangladeshi,
and international economists
Extensive peer review by sector
experts and academics
100+ ideas on
policies & investments
20162015 Continuous
engagement with
the public via
electronic, print
and social media
Working with
civil society,
government and
sector experts
Widely
advocating
results of
prioritization
exercises
OUTREACH

4. Research Ideas

5. Urbanization;
(1 of 6)
• Provide new type of financing for low-cost housing (in
between micro-credit and traditional loans).
• Build more east-west roads in Dhaka.
• Establish satellite townships around Dhaka.
• Establish and improve transport to satellite suburbs
around Dhaka.
• Limit immigration to the Capital.
• Develop a distinct financial district in Dhaka.
• Create a high-powered body to holistically plan and
oversee development in Dhaka (fewer standalone
projects).

6. Urbanization;
(2 of 6)
• Provide education and healthcare services found in the
Capital to rural areas.
• Establish infrastructure to facilitate RMG factories
relocation outside major metropolitan cities.
• Tax new, free-standing housing (encourage high
density housing).
• Improve drainage system of cities.
• Establish health centers in slums.
• Improve infrastructure resilience against natural
disasters and earthquakes.
• Congestion tax or regulate number of cars in Dhaka.
• More public transport in Dhaka.

7. Urbanization;
(3 of 6)
• Increase autonomy of local bodies for accelerated
service delivery.
• Ensure a competitive but regulated market in land,
housing finance and building materials.
• Improve road safety for pedestrian traffic.
• Relocation of urban poor to city’s outskirts.
• Investing in R&D for improving infrastructure
management system.
• Set up public-private-partnership (PPP) for
establishment of low-cost housing facilities.
• Set up a separate ministry to deal with urbanization.
• Conduct regular land settlement mapping.

8. Urbanization;
(4 of 6)
• Strengthen municipality and city corporation bodies.
• Engage communities in projects related to tackling
urban poverty.
• Assess the impact of climate change on urban water and
sanitation facilities.
• Encourage agricultural activities in city and fringe
areas.
• Promote use of unused land by the poor within the city
or fringe areas of Dhaka for cultivation of fruits,
vegetables and flowers.
• Improve sanitation facilities.

9. Urbanization;
(5 of 6)
• Ensure urban poor’s rights to basic services i.e.,
housing, water and sanitation.
• Legalize illegal slum settlements.
• Establish affordable health facilities in urban areas.
• Enhance urban poor’s access to low cost fruits and
vegetables.
• Strengthen community clinics to reduce dependency on
Dhaka’s specialized hospitals.
• Regulate traffic flows in Dhaka following the Kolkata
model (one-way street system in the morning and
evening).

10. Urbanization;
(6 of 6)
• Scale up UNDP’s Urban Partnerships for Poverty
Reduction (UPPR) project.
• Community level savings and credit schemes for
community housing development.
• Relocate offices, private schools and hospitals from
residential areas.

11. Full List of Attendees and
Interviewees
Sarder Shafiqul Alam, Coordinator, International
Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).
Alayne M.Adams.PhD, Senior Social Scientist, Centre
for Equity and Health System.
MD.Asif Rahman, Lecturer, BRAC University.
Tazrina Habib Ananya, Research Associate, C3ER,
BRAC University.
S.A.Mamun, Programme Specialist, UNICEF.
Dr.Margub Aref Jahangir, Health Officer, UNICEF.
Kazi Nazrul Fattah, Program Head, BRAC Urban
Program.
Sara Bumsted, Gender Policy Advisor, UNDP.
Palash Das, ACD, UNDP.
Jay Malette, JPC, UNDP.
Nabeera Rahman, UNV,UNDP.
Suhel Ahmed Choudhury, Former Commerce Secretary
& Former Chairman, Janata Bank.
Reasat Kamal, Manager, BRAC Urban Program.
Shamim Hossain, RA, BUDP.
Dilruba Haider, Program Coordinator, UN Women.
Rechal Lorenz, Senior Infrastructure Adviser, UNPOS.
Ferdou Jahan, PhD. Professor, Public Administration.