Bangladesh-India bilateral trade: causes of imbalance and measures for improvement

[Abstract]: Currently India is the 2nd largest trading partner of Bangladesh, and India’s position is at the top for Bangladesh’s imports trade. So the study underscores the trend, structure and current picture of Bangladesh-India trade. Bangladesh’s trade with India increased tremendously especially in the 1990s. The average annual growth rates of Bangladesh’s trade with India, during 1980 to 1995, were much higher than those with the SAARC and the world. However, Bangladesh has always been trade deficit with India, and recently it has increased exponentially. Limited export base, backward industries, inadequate infrastructure, lower productivity in Bangladesh, appreciation of Bangladesh’s Taka against Indian Rupee, earlier and faster trade liberalization program in Bangladesh compared to India, tariff and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) imposed by the Indian government, huge illegal trade, diversified exports and technologically advanced industrial base of India are identified as the main reasons of this huge trade imbalance. Structural and policy measures such as sound physical, social and economic infrastructure, superior product quality, export diversification, sufficient institutional facilities for banking, credit and insurance, improved law and order situation, labor unrest free environment, an honest and efficient administration, continuous political stability, huge domestic and foreign investments, joint ventures in Bangladesh with buy back arrangements, competitive devaluation of the Bangladesh currency against the Indian currency, removal of illegal trade, tariff and NTBs- free entry of Bangladesh’s exports to Indian market are suggested to improve this trade deficit. Also cordial and productive cooperation between these two nations is crucial to materialize these measures

Model kejayaan utama amalan terbaik pengurusan penyenggaraan bangunan warisan di Malaysia

Pendekatan penyenggaraan seringkali dianggap sebagai aktiviti yang remeh sehinggakan dalam praktis semasa, pendekatan ini tidak dapat menarik perhatian kebanyakkan golongan berpengetahuan dan berkemahiran. Senario ini memberikan justifikasi awal mengenai budaya semasa penyenggaraan yang tidak lagi diterapkan secara cekap dan berkesan. Sehubungan dengan itu matlamat kajian ini adalah untuk meneroka perspektif semasa amalan pengurusan warisan dalam industri pengekalan dan pemuliharaan bangunan warisan di Malaysia, mengenalpasti faktor yang mempengaruhi amalan semasa dan membentuk faktor kejayaan utama amalan terbaik pengurusan penyenggaraan bangunan warisan di Malaysia. Dalam mencapai matlamat tersebut, satu model penilaian amalan terbaik pengurusan penyenggaraan bangunan warisan telah dibangunkan menggunakan kaedah Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) berpandukan kepada elemen kriteria amalan terbaik. Model penilaian ini telah diuji di enam buah organisasi pengurusan penyenggaraan bangunan warisan. Hasil penemuan mendapati bahawa indikasi amalan semasa pengurusan penyenggaraan bangunan warisan di Malaysia telah dikategorikan sebagai lemah (59.05%). Kajian seterusnya adalah untuk mengenalpasti masalah yang menyumbang kepada kelemahan amalan semasa di mana maklumbalas dari 63 responden yang terdiri daripada ahli akademik dan profesional industri mendapati bahawa masalah kewangan, kekurangan institusi serta kemudahan latihan, masalah alat ganti dan sikap manusia sebagai faktor yang amat signifikan. Sebagai refleks kepada masalah yang telah dikenalpasti, model kejayaan utama amalan terbaik pengurusan penyenggaraan bangunan warisan telah direkabentuk bagi proses menambahbaik praktis amalan semasa. Kesimpulannya, model kejayaan utama yang dibentuk berpotensi membantu ke arah mengubah amalan semasa yang lemah kepada amalan yang lebih baik dan berkesan di masa hadapa

The Determinants of Bangladesh's Trade: Evidence from the Generalized Gravity Model

The application of the generalized gravity model in analyzing the Bangladesh's trade reveals that Bangladesh's trade is positively determined by the size of the economies, per capita GNP differential of the countries involved and openness of the trading countries. Bangladesh's exports are positively determined by the exchange rate, partner countries' total import demand and openness of the Bangladesh economy. Bangladesh's imports are determined by inflation rates, per capita income differentials, openness of the countries involved in trade and the border between India and Bangladesh. Multilateral resistance factors and transportation costs affect Bangladesh's trade positively and negatively respectively.Fixed Effect Model; Bangladesh's Trade; Gravity Model; Panel Data

Possibilities of Trade Expansion among the SAARC Countries: Evidence from the Macro-Economic and Regional Trade Link Models

The paper examines the macroeconomic structure of SAARC countries-Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka- individually with a view that this would help policy makers and planners to analyse the impacts of different policy options and costs and benefits of increased economic integration in the SAARC region. It also explores the possibility of trade expansion among these countries by examining the macro-economic and regional trade link models based on time series data of 28 years. The study finds that there are inter-country differences in production and consumption patterns, investment behaviour, tax and non-tax structures in the SAARC countries. Hence there is a considerable scope for trade expansion among the SAARC countries based on comparative advantages. The study also confirms that aggregate regional consumption and regional GNP increase significantly with the increase of aggregate regional trade, and the consumption and income elasticities are 1.70 and 1.61 respectively. The study also exhibits that the GNP of Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with limited exceptions, are significantly increased with the increase of their exports to the region. So these countries would definitely be benefited from the regional trade expansion. The same may be true for India if the smuggled trade is prevented or reduced, and true economic factors, keeping aside political conflicts, dominate for regional trade policy.Trade Expansion; SAARC Countries; Macroeconomic and Trade Link Models; Time Series Data

Bangladesh-India Bilateral Trade: Causes of Imbalance and Measures for Improvement

The study underscores the trend, structure and current picture of Bangladesh-India trade. Bangladesh has always been trade deficit with India, and recently it has increased exponentially. Limited export base, backward industries, inadequate infrastructure, appreciation of Bangladesh's Taka against Indian Rupee, earlier and faster trade liberalization program in Bangladesh compared to India, tariff and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) imposed by the Indian government, huge illegal trade, diversified exports and technologically advanced industrial base of India are identified as the main reasons of this huge trade imbalance. Sound physical, social and economic infrastructure, superior product quality, export diversification, huge domestic and foreign investments, joint ventures in Bangladesh with buy back arrangements, competitive devaluation of the Bangladesh currency against the Indian currency, removal of illegal trade, tariff and NTBs- free entry of Bangladesh's exports to Indian market, etc. are suggested to improve this trade deficit. Also cordial and productive cooperation between these two nations is crucial to materialize these measures.Bangladesh-India; Bilateral Trade and Trade Imbalance; Bilateral Trade; Trade Imbalance

Child labour: the effects of globalisation

This paper analyses the current trend of global child labour, and investigates the causes and consequences of child labour with a particular attention on globalisation-child labour nexus. Though a decreasing trend is observed, the incidence of child labour is still alarming. The incidence in hazardous work is increased by 2.5 percent for the children aged 15-17 years over 4 years. Though controversy exists, poverty is still revealed as a strong determinant of child labour. Among the other factors, parents’ education, credit market constraints, schooling performance, child’s nutrition and health status, family size and birth order, higher schooling costs, lack of quality education, employer’s attitude, inappropriate government policy play major roles. It is also evident that child labour negatively affects child’s physical and mental health, educational outcomes, adult employment, adult earnings and bargaining power of adult workers. The theoretical arguments regarding the effects of globalisation on child labour is ambiguous. Empirical evidences also provide us mixed results

An evaluation of important criteria for measuring the facade condition of old shophouses in Malaysia

Preserving the facade of the old shop houses is important to reflect the image of an attractive townscape. Be-sides having a unique architectural motif, the facade of an old shop houses also has a high heritage value, particularly in terms of how it was built. Therefore, it is desirable to ensure the facade is always in good condition. However, it is difficult to determine the facade of the old shop houses that whether they are in good condition or not. This is because there are no specific criteria used to classify the condition of the facade. Therefore, this study aims to establish a system of criteria for which the facade of the old shop houses that can be assessed and classified in a comprehensive and sustainable. A total of 74 respondents from various professional fields including industry practitioners and academics have been involved in com-pleting the questionnaire. The results of this study will then be used as a basis for the establishment of the classification model for building facade of old shop houses in Malaysia