There is a mix of growth and development patterns in the region of Bay-of-Bengal and the Andaman Sea (BoBAS) rim countries, for example, pathways to Bangladesh’s exceptional human development achievements despite low per capita income may be a good example for Myanmar, Indonesia and India to follow, and success in governance improvement and high income per capita achieved by Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore may provide good lessons for others. This article investigates the drivers of Bangladesh’s human and social development so that other countries in this region, lagging in development, may learn to benefit from each other on various dimensions of growth and development in the framework of regional cooperation and concerted efforts, which might be the initial stage of forming a trade union or economic zone. This study finds that non-governmental initiatives offering low-cost or free contraceptives, healthcare and schooling, and women empowerment made this development possible in Bangladesh.
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