Do the Exchange Rates of the Countries of Freely Floating Exchange Rate Regimes Mean Reverting?

The aim of this study is to estimate whether the exchange rates are mean reverting or not in the twenty-three countries, where the free-floating exchange rate system is followed. The study used annual data set over the period of 1961 to 2014. In this study, we have incorporated both first generation panel unit root tests, i.e., the LLC test, the IPS test and the ADF-Fisher test, as well as second-generation panel unit root test, for instance, the Pesaran CIPS test. Some ambiguous results have been appeared in the first-generation tests. However, the second-generation test has failed to resolve the ambiguity. Hence, one cannot firmly assert from the results of this study that the PPP theory is valid in the freely floating exchange regime countries. Since, the exchange rates do not mean reverting, demand-side factors cause shocks in the market rather than the supply-side. Furthermore, relative change of the price levels of two trading partners is not properly reflected in the relative change of the nominal exchange rate movements. Consequently, the relative PPP theory would not be a complete theory for determining the exchange rates in the long-run for the countries belong to the floating exchange rate regimes. Keywords: Freely floating exchange rate regime; Panel unit root tes

Job Satisfaction of University Teacher’s: A Study on Private University in Bangladesh

The aim of this article is to evaluate the job satisfaction of the faculty of private University in Bangladesh. Salary and fringe benefit, opportunity for scholarly pursuit, course load quality students, office and lab facilities, independency about work, professional relationship and interaction with other faculties, job security, relationship with administration, opportunity to develop new ideas, relationship with immediate superior/dept. head/Pro-VC/VC and opportunity for promotion etc significantly influence job satisfaction of faculty members in Private Universities in Bangladesh. In this study, it is found that only 8 percent are very satisfied about their job. 45, 40, 3.33 and 3.33 percent respondents are satisfied, neutral, very dissatisfied and dissatisfied respectively about their job.So, the respective University authority should take necessary steps such as a raise in the salary, opportunities given to do research, proper recognition given to the faculties, better quality of students must be taken, administration system must be improved and proper and solid criteria for promotion can be introduced and shared with all the faculties. Keywords: Job satisfaction, working environment, job security, salary and fringe benefits, teaching loa

Incidence and Pattern of Clinical Dengue Cases among Travelers and NonTravelers in a District of Bangladesh

Background: Expansion of Dengue fever caused by a mosquito borne arbovirus to new countries and, from urban to rural settings constitutes an important health problem in the world including Bangladesh. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate spread of clinical Dengue to previously non-endemic Barisal district and get an idea of how recent this spread is by comparing proportions of non-travelers and travelers to an endemic area among the admitted patients. Methodology: The incidence of dengue infection in Barisal division with and without travel history to known endemic area was investigated in the current cross sectional study from a conveniently selected sample of patients admitted to the medicine department of Sher-e-Bangla medical College Hospital form Barisal district from July 15, through August, to September 15, 2019. Clinical and laboratory data were collected by attending doctors and checked by investigators. The primary diagnostic tool was NS1 antigen detected by SD Bioline Dengue NS1 Ag Test Kit. Data entry and analysis was done by SPSS version 24.0 software. Result: A total number of sample size was 212 admitted patents of whom 138(65.1%) were male, 74 (34.9 %) were female,116 (54.7%) of patients traveled to a known endemic zone, 96 (45.3%) did not; 206 (97.2%) were NS1 positive, 4 (1.9%) were IgM positive, 2 (0.9%) were IgM positive and IgG positive; Of travelling 116 patients, 92(79.3%) were male, 24(20.7%) were female, of travelling 96 patients 46(47.9%) were male, 50(52.1%) were female. p-value was <0.001. Conclusion: The study concluded that Dengue is becoming endemic in previously non-endemic zones like greater Barisal, though travelers still holds the major share of disease burden. Male preponderance in traveling to endemic zone was statistically significant. Bangladesh Journal of Infectious Diseases 2020;7(1):3-

Income Inequality and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Bangladesh

The main purpose of this work is to explore the relationship between income inequality and economic growth in Bangladesh. The study is based on time series data starting from 1973 to 2016 of Bangladesh. In this paper, we used the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test for checking stationary of series. This study gives a hint that all the afore-mentioned series are stationary at first difference. This paper also incorporated the Johansen test for co-integration and Vector error correction model (VECM) to test the long run relationship between income inequality and economic growth rate. The results of the study indicate that economic growth and income inequality are co-integrated. This approach suggests that an inverse relationship exists between income inequality and economic growth rate. In other words, the higher economic growth rate results in lower income inequality and lower economic growth rate leads to higher income inequality. We find that income inequality plays a negative and significant role in economic growth. Keywords: Income inequality, Economic growth, ADF, Cointegration test, VECM, Bangladesh. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-16-09 Publication date: August 31st 201

Does External Debt Affect Economic Growth: Evidence from South Asian Countries

Time series econometric methods are frequently used in studies examining how external debt affects economic growth. For the period of 1980-2020, this study creates a panel dataset of five South Asian nations and examines the link between external debt and economic growth. The findings of Cross-sectionally Augmented Panel Unit Root Test by Pesaran's (2007) confirms that all variables are integrated in order I (1). To understand the error correction mechanism that determines the short-run dynamic nature of external debt and economic growth, the study uses the Cross-Sectional Dependence Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) technique. A significant negative association between external debt and economic growth is found to exist in South Asia both in the long run and in the short run. Since rising foreign debt is associated with slower economic growth, the study recommends that South Asian nations should promote domestic savings and investment to lessen their reliance on external debt

The value of environmental (dis)amenities in the urban housing market: Evidence from Khulna, Bangladesh

Pressure of rapid urbanization on abiotic environmental parameters in the residential blocks is one of the major challenges of city corporation authorities in Bangladesh. Environmental degradation often reduces property value in the housing market. However, the studies attempted to assess the value of environmental amenities and dis-amenities in the housing market of Bangladesh are scarce. Hence, this study examines the economic value of environmental (dis)amenities in the housing market of Khulna city, Bangladesh. Hedonic pricing method was used to assess the value of four environmental attributes - ventilation, open space, waterlogging and landfill by waste in the housing market. The study found these environmental attributes explain the variation of house rents significantly. Environmental amenities - a hundred-meter reduction in proximity to open space leads to a 2 percent increase in rent while a one discrete unit increase in a 5-point ventilation improvement scale from very poor to excellent results in 5.4 rent increase - are found as rent booster in the urban housing market. In contrast, waterlogging and landfill by waste reduce house rents by 3.7 and 9.8 percent for one unit increase in the respective 5-point degradation scales. The further analysis showed that the rental price of planned residential areas is more sensitive to ventilation and landfilling while that of unplanned areas is more sensitive to both environmental dis-amenities - water-logging and landfilling. Furthermore, our study computed the implicit price of these environmental (dis)amenities in the housing markets of Khulna city. This study suggests improving environmental quality boosts house rent, which in turn attracts environment-friendly urbanization

Biochemical and Clinical Variables of Normal Parathyroid and Hyperparathyroid Diabetic Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Background: In chronic kidney disease (CKD) intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) level is often increased before clinical hyperphosphatemia occurs. Despite its importance very few studies evaluated parathyroid status in CKD. Objective: The study was undertaken to estimate level of parathormone in diabetic CKD patients at a tertiary level hospital and assessing its relationship with different parameters like hemoglobin, calcium etc. and comparing biochemical and clinical variables between normal parathyroid and hyperparathyroid groups. Materials and Methods: It was a hospital based cross-sectional study involving purposively selected chronic kidney disease patients attending nephrology and endocrinology outdoor and indoor services of BIRDEM hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Study was conducted during the period of April to October 2010. All the subjects were divided into two groups based on serum parathormone level and different parameters were compared between groups. Results: The mean duration of chronic kidney disease was significantly higher in hyperparathyroid group than that in the normal group (<0.001). Retinopathy and hypertension were more common in hyperparathyroid group than that in patients with normal serum parathormone (p<0.001 and p=0.012). Neuropathy was solely present in hyperparathyroid group (p<0.001). Mean fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine and serum phosphate were significantly higher in the hyperparathyroid group compared to normal group (p<0.001 in all cases) while the mean serum calcium and haemoglobin were lower in hyperparathyroid group than those in the normal group (p<0.001 in both cases). Serum creatinine and serum parathormone bears a significantly linear relationship (r=0.986, p<0.001), while serum parathormone and serum calcium bears a significantly negative relationship (r=−0.892 and p<0.001). Conclusion: Earlier intervention on the basis of iPTH in addition to other biochemical parameters of chronic kidney disease is recommended