BIGD researchers presented their papers during a two-day conference on Urban Poverty: Challenges of Perspectives and Action, held on 24 - 25 September 2016 in Dhaka. The conference was organised by the Power and Participation Research Center (PPRC) and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), in partnership with The World Bank and the UNDP. During the conference Ms. Kaneta Zillurand, Ms. Farhana Razzaque, Research Associates, BIGD, presented their paper titled ‘Coping with Uncertainties: Trust Dynamics, Fluid Networks and Poverty Traps’ and Mr. Mohammad Sirajul Islam, Research Associate, BIGD presented his paper, ‘Urban Poor and Politics in Dhaka: Participation, Autonomy and Dividends’. Ms. Zillur and Ms. Razzaque highlighted the use of ‘fluid’ social networks by the urban poor in coping with the many uncertainties of living in an urban setting. Mr. Islam highlighted that the urban poor had been passive towards politics in the city and they maintained strong rural connection for benefits by casting votes in local government elections.
The session was chaired by Professor Nazrul Islam, Center for Urban Studies and included panellists, Professor David Hulme, Manchester University and Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, PPRC.