More than 33 million people in India could be exposed to the high winds of Cyclone Amphan, according to the US Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), while more than 5 million could be affected in Bangladesh.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are key to the economies of various countries. Their numbers and contribution towards employment is well documented and there is acceptance amongst policy makers that these enterprises are critical for economic development.

Bangladesh is among the countries most affected by air pollution, with the life expectancy in the country reduced by almost 2 years due to the impacts of pollution exposure on health.

On 11 June 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture requested IFPRI-PRSSP to conduct a study jointly with APSU to assess the paddy price issue. IFPRI agreed to carry out the study.

While the prevalence of undernourishment has declined in Bangladesh, there still are 26 million food-insecure people in the country. Cox’s Bazar alone has 695,000 people that are severely food-insecure with over 34 percent of the population living under the food consumption poverty line.

High fatality and injury rates on Bangladesh’s roads are undermining the remarkable progress that this South Asian nation has made on boosting economic growth and reducing poverty. Estimates of annual deaths in road accidents range from 2,538 to nearly 10 times that—between 20,736 and 21,316, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to the 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI), Bangladesh falls into the serious category, ranked 86th out of 119 countries.

This report reflects the changes in the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program’s operational plan for the period 2016–2025, in particular on priority projects resulting from a rigorous vetting process.