Finance

The aim of this study is to find out learners’ engagement and motivation in online education during COVID-19 considering the challenges and possibilities in the context of Bangladesh. Mixed methods have been used while conducting the study. Survey questionnaire has been used for quantitative purpose while in-depth interviews has been used for qualitative purpose. In survey questionnaire 105 University going students and in interview 5 students have been selected. The study reveals that almost all of the learners participated in online education and they participated for various reasons. They actively took part in online education and motivated enough in online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learners are motivated in online education because most of the learners believe that online education during COVID-19 helps them to resume their academic session, to get connected with their respective study, to reduce their stress and trauma as in online classes they can interact with their friends and teachers. Students outlined different challenges i.e., absence of full concentration, lack of appropriate learning environment, and lack of interaction. Despite these challenges, online education creates some possibilities e.g., faculty members conducted class more systematically than traditional face-to-face class, resources become available and the learning scope get widened.

The aim of this study is to find out learners’ engagement and motivation in online education during Covid-19 considering the challenges and possibilities in the context of Bangladesh. Mixed methods have been used while conducting the study. Survey questionnaire has been used for quantitative purpose while in-depth interviews has been used for qualitative purpose. In survey questionnaire 105 University going students and in interview 5 students have been selected. The study reveals that almost all of the learners participated in online education and they participated for various reasons. They actively took part in online education and motivated enough in online education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Learners are motivated in online education because most of the learners believe that online education during Covid-19 helps them to resume their academic session, to get connected with their respective study, to reduce their stress and trauma as in online classes they can interact with t...

After the spread of Covid-19 the world witnesses a quick technological shift in the education sector and the demand for technology-enabled learning is increasing. The objective of this study is to find out students’ preference in technology-enabled learning during Covid-19 in the context of Bangladesh. In order to conduct this study mixed methods have been used where a survey questionnaire has been chosen for the quantitative purposes and focus group discussions has been chosen for the qualitative purpose. 100 students have been selected as a sample for the survey questionnaire and 7 students have been selected for focus group discussions to find out their feedback towards technology-enabled learning during Covid-19. The findings of the study indicates that almost all of the students in the tertiary level of Bangladesh prefer technology-enabled learning for various reasons. During the Covid-19 pandemic learners willingly participated in technology-enabled learning in order to resume...

The aim of the paper is to discuss the perception of private university students regarding the tendency to transfer to developed countries. In most of the cases, brain drain occurs when students of the developing countries go to developed countries for the purpose of education and try to settle there. Particularly few factors influence their decision to settle down in those countries. This study seeks to examine those few factors which influence especially the young generation to think about this propensity. The study is based on an online survey among the students of five private university students in Bangladesh. For analysis, Multiple Regression analysis, Pearson Correlation and independent sample T test have been used. The findings of the study indicates that the scope of the research, educational facilities and economic factors incline them to migrate. The study also shows that migration tendency between male and female students are almost equivalent.

Now-a-days, in the blended learning environment, Learning Management Systems (LMS) have been used rapidly as a popular means of university teaching and learning. In LMS, both the teachers and learners interact, share, view, monitor, and assess activities, tasks, and assignments. Due to the limitations of traditional LMSs, Facebook groups have been considered as supplementary/substitutes of LMS in the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) environment. Facebook group has been applied as an LMS in the finance classes of the MBA (Bangla) program which is operated by Open School of Bangladesh Open University. According to SMART goal setting theory of Locke and Latham (1990) and the ADDIE model, this has been formulated and implemented considering the learners' needs. Although Facebook groups as an LMS has several advantages, implementing Facebook in teaching and learning is challenging for learners and faculty members because continuous surveillance, prompt feedback, and regular updates is required. In developing Facebook groups as an LMS, several challenges such as formalization, privacy, safety issues may arise; however, proper policy guidelines, online surveillance, and teachers' facilitation role may overcome these challenges.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine if socioeconomic status could affect the likelihood of diagnosis, treatment and control of hypertension in diabetic hypertensive individuals. Design: Cross-sectional nationally representative study. Settings: Bangladesh. Participants: This paper used data from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey. The analyses were based on the responses of 339 diabetes hypertensive individuals. Main outcome measures: Diagnosis, treatment and control of hypertension. Results: The age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension in diabetes individuals was 38.4% in the study population. Among diabetic hypertensive subjects only 65.7% had been diagnosed, 58.4% were receiving treatment and 42% controlled their hypertension. Individuals from high socioeconomic status (AOR 2.60; 95% CI 1.16–5.83) had an increased likelihood of reporting diagnosis of hypertension. Individuals from medium (AOR 2.22; 95% CI 1.11–4.46) and high socioeconomic status (AOR 3.47; 95% CI 1....

ABSTRACT Community Based Fisheries Management (CBFM), or co-management, emerged in Bangladesh as an alternative arrangement for the management of water bodies to solve the adverse effects of the government leasing policy on fishers and fishery resources. As a result of the continuation of the traditional leasing system, the elites and influential individuals captured and controlled the water bodies, and, as a consequence, low income individual lost their rights to fish and work in these water bodies. In 1995, the Bangladesh Department of Fisheries initiated a new management system called CBFM where local poor people were involved in the management process and received rights to fish in the common property water bodies. This study examined the impact of the CBFM-2 project on the income, expenditure and inequality of the fishing community and determines the relationship between poverty and inequality. Following simple random sampling, a representative sample of 196 fisher households comprising 101 CBFM (target) fishers and 95 non-CBFM (control) fishers were selected from Hakaluki and Halir haors of the Moulouvibazer and Sunamgonj districts, respectively. A propensity score matching method was used for impact evaluation. The results show that the CBFM-2 project has a positive and significant impact on fisher's income and household expenditure when poor fishers are involved in the co-management system. The results also reveal that inequality is not a major problem in the study areas, and no significant changes in the income and expenditure distribution has taken place following the project implementation. Finally, the results reveal that inequality and poverty are negatively related in the study area.

Throughout the world ornamentation of body with mehedi (Lawsonia inermis L.) leaf paste, with the trade name ‘henna body art’ is becoming increasingly popular. The worldwide increasing demand of mehedi leaf encourages many countries to adopt commercial farming of the plant. Farmers living in central Bangladesh recently commenced small-scale mehedi farming, primarily with the purpose of meeting national demand. A total of 182 farmers are engaged in mehedi farming and a study was conducted among 36 of them (a 20% random sample) to explore indigenous management techniques, marketing, livelihood potential and constraints of the enterprise. Farming was reported to be the major primary occupation of the study area. An average of 0.05 ha land of the respondents was used for mehedi cultivation, which constituted 16.7% of their average farm land. The farmers applied their own indigenous technology in every aspect of the farming, using branch cuttings as the only propagation material. The financial analysis indicated that mehedi farming is a profitable and attractive option for rural livelihoods [with an estimated net present value of Tk (Bangladeshi currency unit, 1 US $ = 68 Taka (as of May, 2009).) 179,500 for 0.1 ha plantation]. However, the enterprise faces several constraints, including absence of a nursery for supplying planting materials, storage and effective marketing facilities, available capital for investment, improved technology, and above all, government support. If the government extends cooperation by assisting farmers with training, technology, credit and market development, mehedi farming could become an important revenue-earning enterprise in the small-scale cottage sector of Bangladesh.

Hypercholesterolemia is a clinical situation characterized by the elevated serum cholesterol and associated with the higher risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke. Though current therapeutic strategies of hypercholesterolemia meet the present treatment demand but their efficacy is in question as well as the emergence of medicinal resistance. Demand of new therapeutic strategies is obvious while alternative therapeutic strategies are highly promising. Alternative therapeutic approaches are must in that respect but current experimental findings are still ambiguous and scarce. Several transcription factors playing vital role in cholesterol homeostasis and hypercholesterolemia change their expression profile in response to dietary polyphenols like PPARs, SREBPs, SHP, LXR, FXR etc. Function and expression of a number of proteins considered as therapeutically important regarding hypercholesterolemia like HMG-CoA reductase, CYP7A1, CETP, ABCA1 etc. are modulated by the die...

Intrauterine hypoxia-reperfusion is an important cause of neonatal brain injury. Thus, we tested whether S. cumini seed extract (SE) protects the incidence of embryofoetal oxidative toxicity in rat fetal brains produced by intrauterine hypoxia-reperfusion injury. Hypoxia was induced by uteroplacental occlusion followed by reperfusion. Brain proinflammatory tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), the levels of lipid peroxides (LPO) and reduced glutathione (GSH), activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) enzymes were assessed. Histology of the fetal brain slices was studied after hematoxylene/eosin staining. The hypoxia-reperfusion increased the levels of TNF-α, LPO and decreased the activities of CAT and SOD enzymes and levels of GSH in the fetal brains. The oral preadministration of the S. cumini (L.) seed extract to the mother rats, however, significantly inhibited the rises of the levels of TNF-α and the oxidative stress in the feta...

ObjectiveTo explore the association between high-risk fertility behaviours and the likelihood of chronic undernutrition, anaemia and the coexistence of anaemia and undernutrition among women of reproductive age.DesignThe 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, conducted from 8 July to 27 December 2011.SettingSelected urban and rural areas of Bangladesh.SubjectsA total of 2197 ever-married women living with at least one child younger than 5 years. Exposure was determined from maternal reports of high-risk fertility behaviours. We considered three parameters, maternal age at the time of delivery, birth order and birth interval, to define the high-risk fertility behaviours. Chronic undernutrition, anaemia and the coexistence of anaemia and undernutrition among women were the outcome variables.ResultsA substantial percentage of women were exposed to have a high-risk fertility pattern (41·8 %); 33·0 % were at single high-risk and 8·8 % were at multiple high-risk. After adjusting f...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is currently recognized as a critical public health concern and a human rights issue. Not surprisingly, Muslims – a religiously and socio-culturally diverse faith-based populace – are not an exception. To address this complex area of criminal justice and social policy, some scholars advocate implementing restorative justice (RJ) approaches. While RJ approaches have been traditionally used in Islamic cultures for conflict resolutions, to date, few studies have investigated how RJ operates in dealing with IPV in Muslim countries and communities. This article explores how RJ approaches towards IPV operate in some Muslim countries/communities, and offers insights into developing culturally and religiously appropriate ways of implementing RJ in IPV situations among Muslims. Given the prevalence of IPV among Muslims, the question is particularly important and timely. Taking exclusively limited examples of RJ approaches that have been used to mediate IPV cas...

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) offer a cost-effective alternative of harvesting the conventional concentrated solar energy. It uses fluorescent materials embedded in an optical waveguide to absorb, reemit, and concentrate incident solar irradiance to the edges of the waveguide, where small Photovoltaic (PV) cells are attached. Quantum dot (QD) is a good candidate as luminophores for LSCs as it shows a larger Stokes shift, which helps to reduce the dominant reabsorption loss. Here, an effective Monte Carlo ray-tracing simulation model is developed incorporating all loss mechanisms of LSCs to study the optimal concentration of QDs for a given LSC structure that provides the maximum optical efficiency. Three different QDs (CuInS2, AgInS2/ZnS, and ClSeS/ZnS) are employed here to investigate the optimal concentration of the 10cm×15cm×0.3cm LSC system. Among the QDs investigated here, the AgInS2/ZnS QD-based LSC shows the highest efficiency of 2.545% at the concentration of 200 pp...