From environmental and sustainable development perspective, circular economy model is rarely applied in developing countries compared to developed nations. The aim of this paper is to review the overall scenario of the circular economy (CE) model in Bangladesh toward sustainable development. The study relies on the descriptive analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data, collected mostly from secondary sources with some in-depth interviews of the experts in the relevant field. The overall environmental status of Bangladesh, prospects, practices, and challenges of the circular economy model were thoroughly discussed in this paper. Though there are prospects to switching towards CE, the study reveals that the CE model's applicability is very limited in Bangladesh, being exercised mostly through recycling processes in some industries. Most importantly, we attempted to explore what is holding the CE practice in Bangladesh back, and iterated some policy, technical, and public participation barriers existing in Bangladesh. This paper will benefit the policymakers in developing countries in general and Bangladesh in particular to look more into the matter and hope to present ideas for future researchers to work on the idea of CE in the context of particular sectors and subsectors of Bangladesh.

Women entrepreneurs play a substantial role in the sustainable economic development of various developed as well as developing countries in the world. In Bangladesh, the contribution of women entrepreneurs is still insignificant compared to other entrepreneurship due to a number of barriers to their financial inclusion. The current study tried to find out the problems faced with and the opinion of women entrepreneurs regarding the finance from commercial banks. The study used primary data from a sample survey, Key Informant Interview (KII) and in-depth interviews with the selected women entrepreneurs from Sylhet city of Bangladesh to meet the research objectives. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), the study brings to life the fact that women entrepreneurs are reluctant to take the loan from banks because they have to face a number of problems there. Some of the major problems they faced are- collateral requirements, terms and conditions of bank loan, business characteristics and some other institution-specific problems to get access to bank finance. The findings of the study can aid the commercial banks in formulating their strategic decision about financing women entrepreneurs. In addition, this study indicates the way forward for the authoritative and supporting organizations of women entrepreneurs to formulate their action plans for the development of women entrepreneurship.

The study revisited the existing evidences of India Pakistan and China with updated data on the effect of military expenditure on economic growth. Econometric approaches analyzed the short and long run relationship between GDP growth and Military expenditure. Empirical studies have been done using cointegration analysis and causality test to justify the relationship and causality of the variables. Interestingly, study obtained positive log-run relation, no short run relationship and unidirectional long run causality in every cases, but for different degrees of relationship. Obtained results are robust and passed necessary diagnostic tests significantly.

Blue economy has the potential to promote economic growth, improve livelihoods, and create jobs while protecting marine ecosystems. This research uses a comprehensive analysis of secondary data sources to assess various blue economy sectors, including maritime transport, fisheries, aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, marine tourism, marine biotechnology, and ocean mining. By examining the blue economy experiences of developed nations like the United States, Canada, Japan, Norway, and Australia, the study identifies the best SDG practices and strategic lessons applicable to Bangladesh. In the case of Bangladesh, the research focuses on the blue economy initiatives, opportunities, and challenges associated with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The blue economy and SDGs nexus in the context of Bangladesh demonstrates that out of 17 goals, 12 SDGs (SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 3, SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 16 and SDG 17) are linked with blue economy practices in Bangladesh. However, in the case of developed countries, only six SDGs (SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14) are connected to the blue economy because of the diversity of blue economy practices across the countries. Situated along the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh has significant potential to utilize its marine resources for sustainable development. However, it faces challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, regulatory gaps, environmental risks, and limited technological advancements. The study thus emphasizes the need for integrated policy frameworks, stakeholder coordination, investments in sustainable infrastructure, public–private partnerships, technological innovation, and community engagement.

The blue economy refers to the economic activity based on maritime resources. The paper aims to explore the current scenario of sea resources of Bangladesh. Using secondary data, the study reveals that Bangladesh can accelerate its economic growth through the sustainable use of the sea resources. Moreover, Bangladesh has 710 km long coastline with 200 Nautical Miles of an exclusive economic zone inside the Bay of Bengal. Marine fisheries contribute 19.4% of the total fish production of the country. Besides, the western coastline of Cox’s Bazaar is the longest sea beach in the planet that is visited by on an average, 81% of the international tourists arrive in Bangladesh. However, due to lack of institutional capacity and given the socio-cultural context, the sustainability of the sea resources is now facing critical threats. Apart from studying the present status of sea resources, the paper proposed some way forwards based on existing opportunities and challenges for promoting sustainable development in Bangladesh.