The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) is a national effort to transform Bangladesh’s development trajectory by prioritizing investments in health, education, and skills—the three foundational pillars of human capital. We believe that sustainable development and inclusive economic growth begin with strong, healthy, and capable people.
As Bangladesh aspires to become an upper-middle-income country, closing its human capital gap is more urgent than ever. HCI is committed to designing evidence-based policies, mobilizing strategic investments, and fostering innovation to strengthen the capabilities of every citizen—especially children, youth, and women in underserved areas.
HCI serves as a platform for research, policy dialogue, program innovation, and partnership. We aim to work closely with government agencies, development partners, academic institutions, and civil society to advance a bold vision: a Bangladesh where no talent is wasted, and every individual has the opportunity to thrive.
To contribute towards building a prosperous Bangladesh through the development of human capital equitably and sustainably.
To help create greater & equal opportunities for the general population of Bangladesh in accessing resources related to human capital development.
To undertake and support policy research linked to human capital development with a focus on health, education and skills related areas.
Generate rigorous, policy-relevant knowledge on human capital investment in health, education, and skills.
• Working papers, policy briefs, peer-reviewed articles.
• Data dashboards and visualization tools for policymakers.
• Cross-country econometric analysis of the returns on health, education, and skills investments, especially in South Asia and low-income countries.
• Country diagnostics on human capital gaps and investment needs using HIES, LSMS, MICS, and DHS data.
• Development of a Human Capital Index (HCI+) tailored for Bangladesh and similar countries, incorporating early childhood development, quality-adjusted learning years, and adult skills.
• Impact evaluations of interventions such as school feeding, maternal health programs, zero-interest microfinance, and digital skills training.
• Thematic studies on:
a) The effects of AI on labor markets and skill demand.
b) The interdependence between health and educational outcomes.
c) Financing mechanisms for human capital investment.
• Annual Human Capital Investment Report for Bangladesh.
• Policy notes tailored to govt. budget cycles and SDG milestones.
• Strategic briefings to donor agencies and private foundations.
• High-level roundtables and policy forums with ministries (Education, Health, Finance, Planning), development partners (e.g., UNICEF, World Bank), and civil society.
• Policy dialogues in Parliament and Planning Commission on budget allocations for health, education, and skills.
• Subnational dialogues at upazila and district levels to incorporate grassroots voices and local governance actors.
• Rapid response policy notes during national budget cycles and SDG reviews.
• Knowledge dissemination events, including launch of key reports, blogs, op-eds, and media engagement.
• Scalable implementation blueprints.
• Cost-benefit and ROI models.
• Toolkits and manuals for replication.
• Pilot programs in selected upazilas on:
a) Digital skills and foundational learning for grades 8–10.
b) Maternal and child health under the “1,000 Days” model.
c) Preventive healthcare through primary health centers and community clinics.
d) Zero-interest microfinance or micro-grant linked to skilling and health access.
e) Introducing pilot health insurance to support affordable childhood and preventive adult healthcare program
• Design of delivery innovations, such as mobile health platforms, digital teacher coaching/learning, or AI-powered credit assessments.
• Behavioral interventions to address dropout, absenteeism, undernutrition, and care-seeking behavior.
• Operational research to assess cost-effectiveness and pathways to scale.
Build a coalition of stakeholders to mobilize resources, expertise, and implementation capacity
• Joint funding proposals and MOUs.
• Integrated monitoring and evaluation platforms.
• National and international advisory boards and learning alliances.
• Strategic alliances with government agencies (e.g., Planning Commission, PKSF, DGHS, DSHE), private sector actors, and NGOs.
• Global and regional networks for knowledge exchange (e.g., with Human Capital Project of the World Bank, or ASEAN human capital forums).
• Resource mobilization through donor engagement and co-financing agreements with multilateral and bilateral agencies.
• Technical partnerships with universities, think tanks, and tech providers to co-develop content, platforms, and evaluation tools.
• Capacity development through fellowships, internships, and training programs for young researchers and policymakers.
Working to Improve the Human Capital for a Prosperous Nation
Borak Unique Heights, Flat 11/A, 117 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka 1000.
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