THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROJECT In partnership with BRAC, Smarter Solutions for Sourcing ideas and solutions has applied the unique, renowned Co- penhagen Consensus methodology to spending Government NGOs priorities for Bangladesh.

More than 800 people from government, NGOs, Academia Private sector businesses, donors, multilateral organizations and academia identified 76 promising solutions Development Think tanks for Bangladesh. More than 30 top economists organizations have established the costs and benefits of each. 20 ideas roundtables for Sector Experts, This research has been presented to the readers of and review of 7th Five Year Plan studies Bangladesh’s largest newspapers. The solutions are being discussed and ranked at Rural Villages Forums and Youth Forums across the country. 1,000+ ideas on An Eminent Panel vetted the over 1,000 pages of policies & investments We give tailwind to good ideas and new analyses in detail, including questioning the Benefit-cost research by Bangladeshi and academics at a 3-day conference in , hosted international specialist economists headwind to bad ones. by Copenhagen Consensus president Bjorn Lom- borg, to identify some of the smartest ways to help. Review by peers and Shifting just 1% of spending could at Sector Expert roundtables generate trillions of takas and billions THE EMINENT PANEL Finn Kydland, Nobel Laureate Economist Research papers of dollars worth of social, environmental Selima Ahmad, president and founder of Bangla- on 76 solutions and economic benefits for Bangladesh. desh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry KAS Murshid, Director General of the Bangladesh Solutions presented in Daily Star, , Financial Express, Institute of Development Studies and Mushtaque Chowdhury, Vice Chair, BRAC

PRACTICAL NEW RESEARCH YOU CAN USE PRIORITIZATION The Eminent Panel looked at the benefits gained for Bangladesh for every taka spent on each of the Eminent Panel Government and analyzed initiatives. Using this document and our Assesment donor seminars research you can form your own opinions about Newpaper Rural polls the smartest policies. readers Youth Forums Private sector across the nation meetings www.bangladesh-priorities.com Recommendations and policy reports

Made possible by a generous grant from: Smarter solutions for Bangladesh Internation co-ordination: SIDA A collaboration between Copenhagen Consensus Center Youth Forums: Denmark and BRAC Research and Evaluation Division SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS FOR EVERY TAKA OR DOLLAR SPENT Digital Bangladesh e-procurement across government 663 More services at Union Digital Centers 8 Expand broadband 5 Land Administration Land records digitization 619 Food Security, Nutrition & Agriculture Golden Rice R&D Up to 329 Iron and folic acid in pregnancy 27 Nutrition & micronutrients, ½-5 year olds 19 Balanced protein energy in pregnancy 17 Calcium in pregnancy 12 Health System & Access Newborn homecare by health workers 27 Train traditional birth attendants 22 TB treatment 21 Immunize children in urban slums 15 Facility births with skilled attendant 8 Immunize children in remote areas 8 Multi-drug resistant TB treatment 3 Infrastructure (Energy) Shared diesel to replace kerosene 25 Import and domestic coal for more power 24 Import coal for more power 23 Household solar to replace kerosene 1.8 Migration Union Digital Center migration services 22 Seasonal migration stipends 4 Skills training for migrants 3 Education Psycho-social stimulation for stunting 18 Group and teach according to ability 12 On-the-job management training 5 Improve teacher accountability 1+ Improve school management 1+ Vocational training Less than 1 Computer assisted learning Less than 1 Provide BAU inputs like textbooks Less than 1 Non-communicable Diseases Hypertension medication 18 Smokeless tobacco cessation 9 Tobacco tax 8 Diabetes treatment 3 Treat and immunize cervical cancer 0.4 Governance & Institutions Expand village courts 18 Water and Sanitation Treat arsenic for 20% worst affected 17 Treat arsenic for all affected 7 Sanitation 2 Hand-washing promotion 1.2 Industrial Policy & Trade RMG factory compliance 14 Trade liberalization 10 RMG Palli special zone 8 Trade facilitation 2 Environment & Biodiversity Retrofit kilns, outdoor air pollution 8 Biomass cookstoves, indoor air pollution 5 Gasifier stoves, indoor air pollution 4 New hybrid kilns, outdoor air pollution 3 Restoration of Buriganga river system 1.5 LPG cookstoves, indoor air pollution 1.0 Urbanization Solid waste management in Dhaka 6 Stormwater drainage in Dhaka 2 Fiscal Management & Revenue Mobilization Reform VAT and automate collection 6 Infrastructure (Transport) Bus Priority for Dhaka 6 Transport infrastructure for Dhaka 3 Unrestricted roads to North East India 2 Padma Bridge 1.9 Unrestricted roads to Bhutan and Nepal 1.2 Gender Equality Increase secondary education for girls 5 Delay child marriage with subsidies 4 Access to contraception 3 Dowry and child marriage laws Less than 1 Empowering adolescent girls Less than 1 Climate Change Boost agricultural productivity 4 Mangrove protection in Sundarbans 3 Resettlement to manufacturing cities 3 Early warning systems and shelters 1.8 Polders, flood level less than 3m 1.8 Polders, flood level more than 3m 0.8 Capital and Financial Markets Bond market 3 Poverty, Entrepreneurship and Growth Flexible microfinance 2 Ultra-poor graduation programs 1.9 Traditional microfinance 1.7 Livelihood programs 1.0 Unconditional cash transfers 0.8

All benefit-cost ratios are comparable. If you spend one more taka for example on Newborn Homecare, you will do 27 takas worth of social, economic and environmental good. If you spend a taka on UDC migration services you will do 22 takas of good. In principle, all benefits are included. The benefits of providing access to contraception is not only in lower child and maternal mortality but also more schooling and higher incomes. The benefit of mangrove protection in the Sundarbans is not just in protection against cyclones but also in increased fish production, higher biodiversity, ecotourism and CO₂ storage. You can read the summaries and academic papers behind these numbers at www.bangladesh-priorities.com