Assessment of Skills Demand and Skills Gaps in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Industry of Bangladesh
About the project
Partner: Asian Development BankThe Benchmark Survey on Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh, led by Bangladesh Bank, aims to establish a comprehensive baseline for measuring financial inclusion across the country. This initiative is part of the broader National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) implementation plan, designed to improve access, usage, and quality of financial services for individuals and businesses. By collecting data from diverse households and regions, the survey will inform policy interventions to enhance access to banking, mobile financial services, microfinance institutions, and insurance. It also aims to measure financial and digital literacy levels, ensuring strategies are tailored to overcome existing barriers and promote equitable financial participation for all.
Project activities
Completion of National Baseline Survey on Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh
Survey period: 26 January – 23 March 2025Coverage: 64 districts
Implemented for: Bangladesh Bank (NFIS Administrative Unit)
Technical support by: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
RAPID has successfully completed a nationally representative Baseline Survey on Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh, in collaboration with the NFIS Administrative Unit of Bangladesh Bank as part of the country’s ongoing efforts to implement the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS). Spanning across 8 administrative divisions and all 64 districts, including hard-to-reach locations such as the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the survey captures benchmark indicators related to access, usage, quality, and digital and financial literacy. In total, 6,912 households were covered through a two-stage stratified cluster sampling approach to ensure statistical representation across rural/urban areas, gender, and socioeconomic strata. The comprehensive questionnaire, developed in both Bangla and English and administered via CSPro electronic data collection tools, gathered detailed data on interactions with formal and informal financial institutions, usage patterns of digital financial services, levels of financial knowledge, and challenges faced by vulnerable populations. Enumerators and supervisors, carefully selected through a multi-stage recruitment process, underwent intensive training followed by a pilot phase. Fieldwork was supported by a robust quality control and monitoring system, which enabled real-time validation and minimised inconsistencies. The findings of this survey will serve as a crucial benchmark for tracking the progress of the NFIS-B implementation and guide evidence-based policy interventions to improve financial inclusion in Bangladesh.
Workshop: Women’s Financial Inclusion for Tea Garden Workers
On 9 February 2025, Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID), in collaboration with Bangladesh Bank and ADB, held a workshop on “women’s Financial Inclusion for Tea Garden Workers” Dr M Abu Eusuf, Executive Director, RAPID, shared his expert insights and RAPID Deputy Director Mr Md Jillur Rahman moderated the session. Mr Md Saiful Islam Khan, Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank, Sylhet, attended as Chief Guest.
Training for Enumerators and Supervisors
On 18 January 2025, a comprehensive training session for enumerators and supervisors was held in collaboration with RAPID, Bangladesh Bank, and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The training focused on effective survey methods, including question phrasing, software usage, and household engagement strategies. Key areas of emphasis included quality control protocols, ethical safeguards, and measures to ensure respondent safety. This intensive program equipped participants with the necessary skills to collect high-quality data, uphold response integrity, and effectively manage challenges during field operations, thereby enhancing the reliability and robustness of the survey implementation.
