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AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic had a significant impact on both classroom instruction and practical learning within Social Work Departments in Bangladesh. This research took two state universities in Bangladesh as case studies, using a qualitative methodology. Researchers conducted 10 Key Informant Interviews, with professors and field supervisors, 20 in‐depth interviews with Master of Social Sciences (MSS) students and two Focus Group Discussions with MSS students. During the pandemic, University faculty experimented with virtual classrooms, pre‐recorded lectures, and online chat forums to interact with postgraduate students. However, these approaches were not completely successful due to the limitations of digital infrastructure at the Universities and at students' residences. Shortcomings in virtual education included technological barriers, insufficient access to educational resources, and an unusual mental health situation for many students. Student practica were difficult to organize, due to technological barriers, restricted field placement opportunities, disruption in client interaction, and community outreach, interruptions in fieldwork and data collection, as well as insufficient faculty supervision and support. Universities ought to take proactive measures to integrate technology into teaching and learning in normal times so that both can continue during public health emergencies without adding educational crisis to the general state of emergency.

"One of the long-lasting impacts of neoliberal globalization is to subjugate our entire society to serve the market economy, resulting in a 'critical nexus' comprised of flexible and exploitative labor conditions, the reincarnation and reinforcement of gendered ideologies in the workplace, and a treadmill of environmental destruction. Fundamental obstacles to the global and local response to this unholy nexus include objective inequality between and within nations, subjective consequences of uneven development, and 'economism', in which solutions are framed in economic language and rules that ignore or marginalize social justice. Drawing on the social justice framework propounded by, among others, Amartya Sen, Md Saidul Islam and Md Ismail Hossain unpack this critical nexus, investigating how neoliberal flexible accumulation generates unique conditions, contradictions, and confrontations in labor, gender and environmental relations. They also examine whether and how a broader social justice can mitigate tensions and improve conditions"--Back cover

Social work addresses social issues that constrain the betterment of a community. However, social work practice is struggling to deal effectively with the development challenges of Bangladesh. Based on a literature review and the experiences of the authors, this paper explores the emerging issues where social work practice is anticipated as a promising alternative for bringing sustainable social development in Bangladesh. Simultaneously, the paper discovers the limitation of social work practice in Bangladesh addressing these challenges.

This paper sheds light on the methodological dilemma in microfinance research and examines the feasibility of conducting a qualitative case study. Microfinance research is dominated by quantitative impact studies. However, the issues of process and implementation are critical to make an impact. The paper argues that a qualitative case study method can be used as a supplement or an alternative to quantitative methodology, because it is context-specific and naturally enquires research problem. The in-depth and in-detail inquiry make the findings more robust, and readers can understand the meaning holistically by reading stories and quotes. The case study can be used to prove microfinance impacts and to improve microfinance practices.

AbstractThis paper examines microfinance conditionalities of the Bangladesh Rural Development Board in Bangladesh from clients' and providers' perspectives based on a qualitative case study. The study reveals that the credit is less poor focus in terms of amount and disbursement procedure. Additionally, group liability and cooperatives are used as tactics for surveillance and punishment instead of invigorating collective effort. Saving and share work as disciplinary instruments instead of capital accumulation. Besides, service is regarded as a conditional commodity, and skill development becomes individual responsibility. The study implies listening to the voice of the poor and redesigning antipoverty programmes based on the need felt by them. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Two contested arguments persist in explaining the causes of feminization and labor vulnerability. Some scholars argue that global industries are dominated by female workers as a result of the search for cheap labor. On the other hand, some scholars claim that the primary cause of feminization and labor vulnerability is the gendered discourses of work. Drawing views from readymade garment (RMG) industries of Bangladesh, this paper argues that both economic choices of cheap labor and gendered discourses of work collaboratively contribute to feminizing the labor force. This feminization of the workforce enables the violation of labor rights and benefits capitalists.

The coronavirus outbreak has significantly affected the health and well-being of several people around the world. In a similar vein, Bangladeshi medical professionals have also been affected by several severe physical and mental health complications resulting from their frequent contact with COVID-19 patients. This exposes them to a greater risk of infection with the lethal virus, which can substantially impact their job performance. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the manner in which the COVID-19 pandemic affects the occupational health and safety of medical employees. The researchers deployed a descriptive qualitative technique to investigate the complexities of the COVID-19 crisis amongst medical practitioners. Employing purposeful sampling and in-depth interview techniques, the researchers collected data from a total of 32 healthcare professionals and investigated their state of occupational health, their exposure to stress and trauma, and the effects of stress and trauma on their livelihood, health and well-being. The data revealed the occupational health of healthcare workers as being fragile, resulting to stress and trauma, and eventually, a depressed state of mind. To address this issue, relevant government and non-governmental organizations should concentrate on reducing COVID-19-related risks and repercussions in hospital settings. In addition, policymakers, social workers, public health practitioners and psychologists must work together to ensure that healthcare workers are healthy and safe at work.

Microcredit has become a key instrument to the path of women empowerment in Bangladesh and has been replicated in many parts of the globe. However, the credit-based model does not go beyond the academic debates. Many scholars have argued that microcredit has brought substantial changes to the pathway of women empowerment. Challenging this view, others scholars have claimed that microcredit has no significant effect on empowerment of women rather very often it causes harm to poor women. This paper assumes that the existing literatures have lack in finding the concrete impact of microcredit due to the perception of empowerment from a narrower view. Thus, this study defines empowerment from a broader perspective considering the different levels of empowerment and assesses the impact of microcredit on these levels based on empirical evidences from Bangladesh. This paper reveals that microcredit has very minimal effect on empowerment due to its overemphasis on income and economic empowerment. This paper concludes that microcredit alone often cannot bring desired changes to the lives of women in a patriarchal society unless further interventions are made at their social, cultural, perceptual and psychological levels.

This article discusses needs and problems and resources in the Haor (wetland) region in Bangladesh and the potential for employing smart village ideas to address a few identified needs and problems. The study was conducted on 12 villages of the Tanguar Haor of Sunamganj District. A total of 20 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted following purposive sampling. The findings indicated that Haor people experience acute poverty, ill health, low level of education and endemic unemployment which are being worsened by frequent floods and climate-induced damages. The Haor area occupies some potential resources, including land, livestock, marshlands, electricity and mobile telephones, all of which could be mobilised to improve the quality of Haor people's lives. The paper suggests applying the smart village model that touches every facet of wetland life, including agriculture, education, employment and healthcare to improve the living standard of the people of the Haor region.

AbstractThis paper aimed to examine the role of faith‐based organizations (FBOs) in the distribution of social assistance (SA) during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Bangladesh. The paper adopts a qualitative case‐study approach to explore the best practices in the distribution of SA by five (5) organizations including FBOs, governmental organizations (GOs), Non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), political groups, and private voluntary groups. In this study, 14 beneficiaries of SA were selected by stratified proportionate random sampling method, and five (5) key personnel were selected purposively based on their experiences in the management of SA distribution. The study found that "no‐move, no touch" approach followed by FBOs is more likely to establish human rights and social justice and reduce the transmission of diseases. In contrast to the modern idea, which undermines the faith‐based charity, the study proved that faith‐based charity is gaining attraction as an effective approach combating global pandemic. The findings of this paper will be useful for policymakers, voluntary service workers, GO, and NGO workers to ensure the distribution of SA in a more productive and disciplined way during and after an emergency like the COVID‐19 pandemic.

The persecution and brutality against the Rohingya people could as well be regarded as the biggest injustice in the history of human civilisation. This article explores the possible threats to peace and security in Asia and the South Asian regions resulting from the settlement of the Rohingya people in Bangladesh. It examines qualitative data obtained from the Rohingya refugees and various stakeholders, including security personnel, administrators, civil society members, representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international NGOs (INGOs) and residents in the host community. It has been discovered in this study that human rights violations against the Rohingya refugees are not just a threat to peace and security in Bangladesh but also a threat at the regional level. The study recommends that neighbouring countries and regional and international associations take more proactive roles in resolving the Rohingya crisis by negotiating and mounting international pressure on the Myanmar government. These findings add new knowledge and provide guidelines for policymakers to design a roadmap for resolving the Rohingya crisis.

AbstractThe COVID‐19 outbreak has become a global health crisis affecting both the physical and mental health of people across the world. Likewise, the people of Bangladesh are going through a menacing mental health catastrophe with the outbreak of coronavirus that resulting in stress and trauma. Hence, this situation is altering people's lifestyles and generating complexities in psychological well‐being. The study was based on the review of published articles and media reports related to stress and trauma during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Bangladesh. A total of 10 peer‐reviewed articles and 45 newspaper reports were included following an extensive literature search. The contents were searched on Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, local online newspapers, social networking sites, and different webpages and published articles in different journals on COVID‐19 from March 5 to October 25, 2020. The review study finds that the mental health of people in Bangladesh has severely been affected by the outbreak of coronavirus. All of the government, voluntary, and civil organizations need to give further emphasis on psychosocial and bereavement counseling in order to support those experiencing mental shocks resulting from the COVID‐19 crisis. There is the need to strengthen more consultative and collaborative efforts from all public health experts, social workers, psychologists, and policymakers in doing so. Social workers in this context will be able to make meaningful contributions in supporting those affected people to better adjust to the challenging situation.