In Asia: Weekly Insight and Features from Asia

Already the world’s most densely populated country, Bangladesh is expected to grow to over 200 million by 2025. While the country undergoes rapid urbanization and population growth, poverty remains severe, with 60 million Bangladeshis living below the poverty line. “Employment and private sector growth,” explains The Asia Foundation’s Local Economic Governance Project Director Syed Al-Muti in this video, “are key to breaking this cycle.” Unfortunately, significant barriers to doing business, like corruption, steep licensing fees, and local bureaucracy, are still stunting growth at the district level.