Background: A large body of evidence links poverty to poor health, yet causal evidence on whether reducing poverty improves survival remains limited. Methods: We study the long-term health impacts of an Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) program, a multifaceted anti-poverty intervention, evaluated through a randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh. Findings: Seventeen years after the intervention ended, treatment households experienced significantly lower mortality than control households. Male mortality fell by 14%, with effects appearing early and persisting, while female mortality fell by 17%, emerging only later and concentrated among women aged 55 and above. Survival analysis confirms significantly higher life expectancy for both sexes in treatment households. While multiple pathways may have contributed to these mortality gains, we find evidence for reduced morbidity and improved access to healthcare. Overall morbidity declined by about 10%, with the greatest improvements among elderly women, alongside a minimum 10% increase in healthcare spending among treatment households. Interpretation: These results provide rare experimental evidence that sustained poverty reduction improves adult survival. They underscore the health dividends of integrated anti-poverty programs and suggest that evaluations of such interventions should incorporate health outcomes alongside economic indicators.

There remains a lack of evidence on which livelihoods interventions are effective for persons with disabilities, particularly given the fact that the impact of interventions varies according to contextual factors. The disability-inclusive ultra-poor graduation (DIUPG) programme is an adaptation of the ultra-poor graduation programme (UPG), designed to tackle extreme poverty among persons with disabilities. The DIUPG programme has been previously evaluated in Uganda and found to have successfully improved household consumption, amidst the challenges of COVID-19 and funding cuts. The current evaluation of DIUPG programme therefore creates the opportunity to generate comparative data on the programme in a different context (Bangladesh), which will aid understanding of the transferability and robustness of the intervention. The DIUPG provides standard UPG support such as asset transfers, combined with disability-specific elements such as rehabilitation and psychosocial therapy. The evaluation will adopt a cluster-randomised superiority trial design with two parallel groups, with clusters comprising branch office catchment areas of the intervention implementer. The units of participation in DIUPG are households living in these geographical areas. Household eligibility is determined through household screening utilising standardised measures to identify ultra-poor households that have members with disabilities. Clusters are randomly selected prior to DIUPG implementation, resulting in 48 intervention and 24 control clusters. The primary outcomes of the evaluation are per capita household income, income and employment of persons with disabilities, per capita food consumption and expenditures, and per capita non-food expenditures. Prior to intervention implementation, baseline data is collected in the treatment and control arms (May–June 2023). After DIUPG conclusion (20 months), endline data are collected (October–November 2025) in both arms. There is a general paucity of evidence regarding what interventions work to create better livelihoods for persons with disabilities and their families. Evaluating the DIUPG programme in Bangladesh will generate crucial evidence demonstrating whether similar benefits of the programme as observed in Uganda accrue in a distinct context. ISRCTN registry ISRCTN10602983. Retrospectively registered on 05/05/2025.

Persons with disabilities are more likely to be excluded from employment than those without disabilities, yet little is known about effective strategies to address this gap globally. This study is a process evaluation of a disability-inclusive employment programme STAR+, conducted in Bangladesh alongside a cluster randomised controlled trial. The intervention comprised a six-month apprenticeship for youth with disabilities to develop trade-specific skills, alongside additional disability-inclusive components such as workplace modifications. Using qualitative data from participants and implementers, triangulated with trial endline data and programme documentation, the study examines intervention mechanisms of impact and contextual factors. Findings highlight the acquisition of practical and soft skills (e.g., self-confidence) as key positive mechanisms. However, entry into waged employment was constrained by structural barriers, family resistance, and broader disability- and gender-related stigma. Overall, findings show that STAR+ was successful as a skill development programme but identify barriers to improved waged employment outcomes.

Transport is a fundamental enabler of participation in society yet people with disabilities frequently experience barriers to accessing it. These barriers are often greater in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite its importance, transport remains neglected in disability-inclusive development interventions. This article synthesises evidence from the Disability Inclusive Development Inclusive Futures programme and the Programme for Evidence to Inform Disability Action, which implement and evaluate disability inclusion interventions across multiple LMICs. We draw on their findings to examine the transport barriers experienced by people with disabilities and how these shaped intervention participation and outcomes. Findings highlight inaccessible infrastructure, a lack of accessible public transport options, unavailability of assistive technology, and transport-related stigma and discrimination as barriers. These barriers were shaped by intersectional disadvantage and risk constraining intervention participation and impact. We discuss the implications for disability-inclusive development intervention design and national transport policy, highlighting that transport access is a prerequisite for meaningful inclusion.

Survey responses might be biased by enumerator characteristics, which could in turn affect impact evaluation estimates. This study demonstrates this in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, by cross-randomizing the gender of the enumerator eliciting responses, and experimentally varying the rollout of an established anti-poverty program. It finds that respondents significantly under-report (0.51 sd) cases of IPV to males compared to females. Furthermore, the intervention significantly reduces (0.20 sd) incidence of IPV. However, this impact is only discernible when surveyed through females. If only male enumerators are used, the impact of the program is masked due to response bias.

Recent evidence shows that the inverse relationship between plot size and productivity is driven by an edge effect or by the over-reporting of production by farmers on smaller plots. In this paper, we re-examine the relationship between plot size and productivity in the context of Bangladesh. We also examine whether the effect of plot size is different across rice and non-rice crops. We use panel data at the household level and estimate a fixed effects model. Results show that the effect of plot size on productivity is positive but not statistically significant. Further results show that there is no statistically significant effect of plot size on productivity for both rice and non-rice crops. Our findings suggest that land redistribution, even if it leads to smaller plots, will not decrease farm production.

Youth unemployment has been a decisive policy concern for both developing and developed economies, and many labour market interventions (for example, job training) have been put in place to bring unemployed youth into productive activities. This study conducts a randomised controlled trial of a job training programme that provides on-the-job and classroom training to disadvantaged youth living in urban areas of Bangladesh. ITT results show that 12 months after the intervention, the programme increases earnings by 28 per cent (LATE is 48%) and this is mainly achieved by the substantial effects on women's earnings. The effect on employment is positive though not statistically significant. Moreover, findings suggest that the programme has increased hours worked, labour productivity, and career progression. The benefit-cost ratio of the programme is estimated at 1.93, suggesting that the programme can be scaled up cost-effectively.

The onslaught of COVID-19 and the subsequent economic fallout have exacerbated world inequality, with the poor bearing a disproportionate brunt of the pandemic. In this paper, we investigate whether access to credit-in the form of microloans-cushioned the blow induced by COVID-19 and increased poor households' welfare. In particular, we use survey data on microloan borrowers in Bangladesh to examine how access to microfinance affected its clients during the COVID-19 crisis. We employ a difference-in-differences (DID) methodology to compare borrowers who received loans after the outbreak of the pandemic with borrowers who did not. Our results suggest that receiving microloans increases business earnings, food security, as well as food expenditure. These effects are primarily driven by borrowers of business-focused loans, while the impact of the loans focused on poverty reduction is muted.

The COVID-19 shock resulted in a large number of people becoming newly poor in Bangladesh, for whom recovery was slow and difficult. In response, BRAC implemented a nationwide program - credit, business planning support, and mentoring - targeting the economic recovery of the new poor. This paper estimates its impact using a mixed method and finds that the program had a significant positive effect on employment, income, and assets, indicating a faster economic recovery of program participants. The learnings from this program can have major policy implications for future disaster responses targeting livelihood recovery, specifically during the time-sensitive transitory phase from relief to long-term development.

This paper estimates the impact of a program providing classroom and on-the-job entrepreneurship training followed by the provision of a loan to disadvantaged youth. We find that the program increases employment by seven percentage points and income by 21 per cent. The impact is larger for women than men. Furthermore, the results demonstrate an increase in the propensity to save by 17 percentage points with an increase in both the amount of loan taken and outstanding. Nevertheless, the effect of the training component of the program shows no statistically significant impact on income and hours worked. However, the additional impact of the loan component is notable, increasing hours worked as well as earnings.

Little is known about what works to facilitate disability-inclusive employment. This study reports initial findings of a process evaluation of a disability-inclusive employment programme, STAR+, being implemented across Bangladesh. The study interrogates the design of STAR+ and the structures and processes by which it was delivered. Findings reveal an important role of early involvement of disability-focused organizations in intervention planning. The study further discusses adaptations made during STAR+ delivery. First, in some project areas, extra resources were available to appoint additional staff to support disability inclusion. Second, family members were relied upon by implementers to support youth with disabilities at their workplace and classroom training. Lastly, STAR+ implementers take care to ensure the right employers are selected by the programme, in some cases engaging in additional ad-hoc selection processes to on-board more altruistic individuals. Results are discussed in terms of programmatic and policy implications.

Introduction Presbyopia, the leading cause of vision impairment globally, is common during working years. However, no trials have assessed presbyopia’s impact on income. Methods In April 2017, we conducted a census among 59 Bangladesh villages to identify persons aged 35 to 65 years with presbyopia (presenting distance vision > = 6/12 bilaterally and correctable inability to see 6/13 at 40 cm with both eyes), who never had owned glasses. Participants were randomized (1:1) to receive immediate free reading glasses (intervention) or glasses delivered 8 months later (control). Visual demand of different jobs was stratified into three levels. Outcomes were between-group differences in the 8 month change in: self-reported monthly income (primary) and Near Vision Related Quality of Life (NVRQOL, secondary). Results Among 10,884 census participants, 3,655 (33.6%) met vision criteria and 863 (23.6%) comprised a sample enriched for near vision-intensive jobs, but 39 (4.52%) could not be reached. All participants allocated to intervention (n = 423, 51.3%) and control (n = 401, 48.7%) received the appropriate intervention, and follow-up was available for 93.4% and 96.8% respectively. Groups were similar at baseline in all characteristics: mean age was 47 years, 50% were male, 35% literate, and about half engaged in "most near vision-intensive" occupations. Glasses wear at 8-month follow-up was 88.3% and 7.81% in intervention and control respectively. At baseline, both the intervention and control groups had a self-reported median monthly income of US$35.3. At endline, the median income for the intervention group was US$47.1 compared with US$35.3 for control, a difference of 33.4%. Predictors of greater income increase in multivariate models included intervention group allocation (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.12, 1.88, P = 0.005), male sex (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.84, 3.16, P <0.001), and not engaging in income-producing work at baseline (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.69, 3.26, P<0.001). Conclusion Provision of reading glasses increases income in near vision-intensive occupations, and may facilitate return to work for those currently unemployed.

Abstract Background:A substantial amount of literature shows that marriage is welfare increasing. Hence, international migration can affect welfare of migrants through their age at marriage. There is however limited evidence on the effect of the international migration of unskilled workers on their age at marriage. Methods:Since migration is endogenously determined, I use the migration network as an instrument for migration. Migration and marriage can be joint events; hence, I estimate reduced form regressions instead of two-stage OLS. Results:This paper estimates the effect of international migration of male workers on their age at marriage. Further I examine the effect of male migration on age at marriage of women. Results show that the migration of male workers decreases the probability of being married, suggesting that international migration increases age at marriage. Further, I find that male migration decreases the probability of being married of females. Results also show that male migration is likely to decrease early marriage among girls, a striking result because the rate of early marriage among girls is very high in Bangladesh. Conclusions:There is only one paper that estimates the effect of international migration of low skilled workers on their age at marriage but that study uses a sample of G2G migrants. Our study address this data limitation and estimate the effect using data on migrants that emigrated through various channel. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge our paper is the first to examine the effect of male migration on age at marriage of females.

Increasing forcibly displaced populations worldwide are adversely affecting the poorest host communities' livelihoods. Livelihood programmes can reduce this tension by addressing host communities' skills and capital constraints. In this paper, we examine the effect of a customised version of BRAC's Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) programme on the livelihoods of the host communities of Rohingya refugees. We find that the programme increases labour supply in self-employment of working-age men and women, household income, food expenditure and productive asset. Further, we find some weak evidence that the programme decreases the tension between hosts and Rohingya refugees.

Since independence, the growth of Bangladesh economy has been dominantly rural oriented where agricultural and infrastructural accomplishment have been contributing a major section. Additionally, slowed population growth reduced dependency burden and increased resource available for the rest of the family members, leading to improvement in quality of life. Despite such achievement, the economic development has not been uniform all across Bangladesh. Among 491 upazilas in Bangladesh, 50 have been identified to be lagging behind in terms of economic and social development (UNICEF 2010).To address the inequality of development, BRAC started a pilot programme titled Integrated Development Programme (IDP) in the depressed basins of Bangladesh. The first phase of the IDP was initiated in Derai and Baniachong upazilas of Sunamganj and Habiganj districts respectively in 2012 and 2013. The IDP is comprised of ten BRAC programmes. They are (i) Health, Nutrition and Population Programme; (ii) Education Programme; (iii) Community Empowerment Programme; (iv) Human Rights and Legal Aid Services Programme; (v) Gender, Justice and Diversity Programme; (vi) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programme; (vii) Targeting the Ultra Poor Programme; (viii) Microfinance Programme; (ix) Adaptive Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Poultry Programme; and (x) Safe Migration Programme.The aim of the pilot programme was two-fold: on one hand it aimed to deliver services in a more integrated fashion in the remote haor basin; and on the other hand it aimed to address the sustainbility issue of large scale micro level interventions by replicating the integrated service delivery approach to other parts of the country. The uniqueness of the IDP is that under this programme, all services are managed and delivered by one single Programme Organiser (PO) through a common platform known as Village Development Organisation (VDO).This paper provides an impact assessment of the IDP to understand the extent to which it has been successful in improving the lives of haor dwellers. Given the extensiveness of the intervention outreach we have specified the outcome indicators down to the level of asset holding, employment and income, food security and nutritional status, health and hygiene, education, crisis and vulnerability and women empowerment.

This paper estimates the impacts of Livestock Asset Transfers on the livelihoods of the ultra-poor in West Bengal, India. The programme provides the female members of ultra-poor households with livestock assets as grants. We find that the intervention increases per capita monthly income by Rs 1061 (122% increase). It also increases the food expenditures of households and enables them to secure enough food to eat at least two meals a day. Furthermore, the programme also increases the number/amount of owned livestock assets, poultry, and cultivable lands amid the treatment households.

Introduction There is little evidence on the impact of livelihood interventions amongst people with disabilities. Effective programmes are critical for reducing the heightened risk of poverty and unemployment facing persons with disabilities. STAR+ is a skills development and job placement programme targeted to out-of-school youth with disabilities (ages 14–35) living in poverty. It is a disability-targeted adaptation to an existing, effective intervention (STAR), which has been designed to address barriers to decent work for people with disabilities. This protocol describes the design of a cluster randomised controlled trial of STAR+ in 39 of the 64 districts of Bangladesh. Methods BRAC has identified 1500 youth with disabilities eligible for STAR+ across its 91 branch offices (typically a geographical areas covering about 8 km radius from local BRAC office) catchment areas (clusters). BRAC has limited funding to deliver STAR+ and so 45 of the 91 branches have been randomly allocated to implement STAR+ (intervention arm). The remaining 46 branches will not deliver STAR+ at this time (control arm). Participants in the control-arm will receive usual care, meaning they are free to enrol in any other livelihood programmes run by BRAC or other organisations including standard STAR (being run in 15 control branches). The cRCT will assess the impact of STAR+ after 12 months on employment status and earnings (primary outcomes), as well as poverty, participation and quality of life (secondary outcomes). Analysis will be through intention-to-treat, with a random mixed effect at cluster level to account for the clustered design. Complementary qualitative research with participants will be conducted to triangulate findings of the cRCT, and a process evaluation will assess implementation fidelity, mechanisms of impact and the role of contextual factors in shaping variations in outcomes. Discussion This trial will provide evidence on the impact of a large-scale, disability-targeted intervention. Knowledge on the effectiveness of programmes is critical for informing policy and programming to address poverty and marginalisation amongst this group. Currently, there is little robust data on the effectiveness of livelihood programmes amongst people with disabilities, and so this trial will fill an important evidence gap. Trial registration This study has been registered with the Registry for International Development Impact Evaluations, (RIDIE Study ID: 6238114b481ad ) on February 25, 2022, and the ISRCTN Registry (ID: ISRCTN15742977 ).