The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh since March 2020 has seen the simultaneous unfolding of an unprecedented health and economic crisis affecting the entire society but with particularly adverse consequences for the poor and the vulnerable. Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and BRAC Institute for Governance and Development (BIGD), two Dhaka-based research centres, have undertaken a large-scale household panel survey through telephonic interviews to generate real-time evidence on household-level economic realities in urban and rural Bangladesh. Surveys have so far been conducted in five critical moments – immediately at the onset of the pandemic and imposition of the first lockdown in April 2020, the second in June 2020 after the first lockdown ended, and the third in March 2021 to assess the recovery process, the fourth in August 2021 to examine the aftermath of the second lockdown and the fifth in May 2022 to assess the impact of inflation. The surveys looked at the impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods, employment, and food security as well as the coping mechanisms and the recovery realities of the households. PPRC was generously supported by the World Food Program (WFP) for the third and fourth surveys.

In addition, PPRC undertook several social initiatives. In order to address the health risks of municipality workers, PPRC entered into a partnership with the multi-sectoral civic platform Healthy Bangladesh and UNDP to distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) to nearly 3000 waste management staff in 16 Pourashavas and 1 City Corporation of Bangladesh. Each kit consisted of gloves, masks, goggles, boots, and overalls for the worker.

Learn more about the PPRC Covid-19 Response: Click Here