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With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

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Lilia Bliznashka

Lily Bliznashka is a Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit. Her research focuses on assessing the effectiveness of multi-input nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions and the mechanisms through which they work to improve maternal and child health and nutrition globally. She has worked in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

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Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion

Md. Aminul Karim

Research Analyst

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Bio

Md. Aminul Karim is a Research Analyst in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit, working on climate change and agriculture. Prior to joining IFPRI in 2023, Aminul worked at 3ie, the Community Development Center (CODEC), and Innovision Consulting. He has extensive experience in qualitative and quantitative methods as well as in designing and executing development projects related to rural livelihoods, education, disaster risk reduction, emergency response, and climate change. His research interests include poverty, rural livelihoods, social protection, and public policy. Aminul received his MA in Economics from the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP).

Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Book Chapter

Mechanizing agriculture in Bangladesh: Trends, challenges, and policy priorities

2026Karim, Md. Aminul; Shamma, Raisa; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Belton, Ben; Kishore, Avinash; Ahmed, Akhter
Details

Mechanizing agriculture in Bangladesh: Trends, challenges, and policy priorities

Agricultural mechanization has become a cornerstone of rural transformation in Bangladesh (Zhang et al. 2014). Since the 1980s, the country has made significant strides in mechanizing various stages of agricultural production, from land preparation to harvesting (Mottaleb, Krupnik, and Erenstein 2016; Rahman et al. 2021). As in India and other neighboring countries, both informal custom-hiring businesses and government support have enabled the widespread use of agricultural machinery in Bangladesh (Biggs and Justice 2015). Mechanization has helped address growing labor shortages, increase labor productivity and input-use efficiency, and raise farmers’ incomes (Islam 2021; Mandal 2017).

Year published

2026

Authors

Karim, Md. Aminul; Shamma, Raisa; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Belton, Ben; Kishore, Avinash; Ahmed, Akhter

Citation

Karim, Md. Aminul; Shamma, Raisa; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Belton, Ben; Kishore, Avinash; and Ahmed, Akhter. 2026. Mechanizing agriculture in Bangladesh: Trends, challenges, and policy priorities. In Transforming Smallholder Agriculture Through Mechanization in Asia: Volume 1: Pathways and Policies, eds. Ma, Wanglin; Rahut, Dil B.; and Sonobe, Tetsushi. Chapter 1, p. 1-42. https://doi.org/10.56506/OFAY7376

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agricultural Mechanization; Ownership; Econometric Models; Labour; Gender; Profitability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.56506/ofay7376 Source record

Record type

Book Chapter

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Labor market and gender impacts of agricultural mechanization: Evidence from Bangladesh’s combine harvester subsidy program

2025Mahzab, Moogdho; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Karim, Md. Aminul; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini
Details

Labor market and gender impacts of agricultural mechanization: Evidence from Bangladesh’s combine harvester subsidy program

Bangladesh’s Phase III agricultural mechanization subsidy program (2020–2024) distributed over 35,000 machines worth BDT 1,595 crore (USD 163 million), including nearly 9,000 combine harvesters (CHs) that accounted for 84% of machinery expenditure. Earlier causal econometric analysis suggests that high-allocation CH areas saw 6-13% yield gains, 38-70% lower labor costs, and 12-26% lower production costs. In this note, we explore the distributional consequences of subsidized combine harvesters, particularly along gender lines. As a result of the program, self-employment in agriculture increases by 5.3 percentage points; men shift from wage labor to own-account farm work linked to mechanized operations. Female self-employment in agriculture declines by 2.6 percentage points; overall female employment probability falls by 1.8 percentage points. Unlike men, women do not transition into non-agricultural employment, indicating limited capacity to absorb displaced female workers. Among those who remain self-employed, women increase their time allocation substantially—suggesting that while fewer women participate, those who do work more hours, likely in livestock and fisheries. Foreign migration increases by 6.1 percentage points in high-mechanization areas, suggesting households use freed labor for overseas opportunities.

Year published

2025

Authors

Mahzab, Moogdho; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Karim, Md. Aminul; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini

Citation

Mahzab, Moogdho; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Karim, Md. Aminul; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; and Roy, Shalini. 2025. Labor market and gender impacts of agricultural mechanization: Evidence from Bangladesh’s combine harvester subsidy program. IFPRI Project Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178946

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Labour Market; Gender; Impact; Agricultural Mechanization; Subsidies; Combine Harvesters

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Combine harvester subsidies and agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh: Recommendations for reform

2025Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Mahzab, Moogdho; Karim, Md. Aminul; Shamma, Raisa; Belton, Ben; Talukder, Md. Ruhul Amin; Kabir, Razin; Aravindakshan, Sreejith; Krupnik, Timothy J.; Ahmed, Akhter
Details

Combine harvester subsidies and agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh: Recommendations for reform

This brief summarizes findings from a recent report1 on Bangladesh’s Phase III agricultural mechanization support program (2020–2024). The program distributed over 35,000 subsidized machines worth BDT 1,595 crore (USD 163 million). Combine harvesters (CHs) accounted for 84% of program value, making them the focus of this analysis. Drawing on administrative data, a survey of 979 Machinery Service Providers (including 400 CH MSPs), panel data from over 2,000 Boro rice-producing households, and 128 qualitative interviews, the report examines program impacts and identifies critical implementation gaps.

Year published

2025

Authors

Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Mahzab, Moogdho; Karim, Md. Aminul; Shamma, Raisa; Belton, Ben; Talukder, Md. Ruhul Amin; Kabir, Razin; Aravindakshan, Sreejith; Krupnik, Timothy J.; Ahmed, Akhter

Citation

Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Mahzab, Moogdho; Karim, Md. Aminul; Shamma, Raisa; Belton, Ben; et al. 2025. Combine harvester subsidies and agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh: Recommendations for reform. Climate Change X Agriculture Policy Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178863

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Subsidies; Agricultural Mechanization; Combine Harvesters; Reforms; Harvesters

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief