Distinguished Professor Ali Riaz has published a commentary on the Bangladesh government’s economic stimulus package in the wake of COVID-19. Assessing the $9 Billion package, declared by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 5, Riaz argued that it has fallen short in addressing the problems facing by the low-income wage earners and the middle class. Leaving the most vulnerable people behind raises disconcerting questions about the priorities of the government, Riaz wrote. The absence of any allocation for the health sector and agriculture is troubling, he said. Riaz, who is also a nonresident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council South Asia Center, insists the lack of support to the agricultural sector could create a new crisis at a time when the crisis is already affecting the food security of a large number of people. Various parts of the country are under partial lockdown since March 25 and the number of infected people is climbing rapidly. The commentary, titled “Bangladesh’s COVID-19 stimulus: Leaving the most vulnerable behind,” is published in the New Atlanticist of the Atlantic Council. Riaz also urged for ensuring transparency and accountability of the implementation process.
Riaz publishes on Bangladesh’s COVID-19 Stimulus Package
