Green and blockchain technology should get priority in Bangladesh's development: Researcher
Representational image drawn by AI.
A socio-economic researcher of Bangladesh has been working at international level on Green Finance, Blockchain Technology, Banking reforms to take the country ahead in economic, social and investment areas that would be simultaneously sustainable and progressive.
A growing body of research from the Department of Business Administration at Varendra University is drawing attention for its direct relevance to some of Bangladesh's most pressing national policy challenges.
Associate Professor Rejaul Karim, whose work focuses on sustainable finance, FinTech, and environmental economics, has published a series of studies between 2024 and 2026 in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals — several of which address questions that the Bangladesh government and its regulatory agencies are actively working to resolve.
The research does not claim to have written on various government policies, but each study provides some kinds of rigorous empirical evidence that policymakers need to make informed decisions. Three areas stand out in particular.
Green Finance, FinTech and Bangladesh's Development Goals. A 2026 study titled "Unveiling the Roles of Green Tax, Financial Development, Banking Development, FinTech Adoption, and Economic Growth on Sustainable Development in Bangladesh," published in World Development Sustainability (Q1), examines how financial sector instruments can accelerate sustainable development in Bangladesh. This research is directly relevant to Bangladesh Bank's Green Banking Guidelines, the government's FinTech Policy, and ongoing national budget discussions around green taxation. The study offers evidence on what actually works — and what does not — in the Bangladesh context.
Regulatory Technology and Banking Reform. A 2025 study published in Sustainable Futures (Q1) examined how regulatory technology — or RegTech — can reduce costs and improve performance in Bangladesh's banking sector. Bangladesh Bank has been pursuing a comprehensive banking sector reform agenda, including the introduction of risk-based supervision. This research provides the empirical foundation for understanding how digital regulatory tools can support that reform, reduce compliance burdens, and improve profitability — particularly relevant at a time when the sector is under pressure from non-performing loans and governance concerns.
Blockchain in Banking and Smart Bangladesh. A 2025 study in AI and Society (Q1) explored the role of blockchain technology in promoting sustainability in the banking sector.
Under a blockchain technology, all transactions must be approved by both parties and are automatically updated in both of their ledgers in real time. Any corruption in historical transactions will corrupt the entire ledger.
As Bangladesh advances its Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041, digital financial infrastructure — including blockchain-based systems for transparency and compliance — is increasingly central to the agenda of both Bangladesh Bank and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit. This research provides one of the first empirical analyses of blockchain's sustainability impact in a developing country banking context.
FDI Determinants in a Changing Global Economy. A 2026 study published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (Nature/Springer, Q1) investigated the macroeconomic, demographic, and environmental factors that determine foreign direct investment in G20 countries. The findings are applicable to Bangladesh's FDI strategy — particularly the work of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the government's effort to attract investment into Special Economic Zones. Understanding the conditions under which FDI actually flows — and what deters it — is critical for shaping effective investment facilitation policy.
Gender Diversity in Corporate Governance. A 2026 study in Business Strategy and Development (Q1) examined the relationship between gender diversity in corporate boards and firm performance across SAARC countries. This is directly relevant to the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission's Corporate Governance Code, which introduced guidelines on board diversity. The research provides regional evidence on whether these guidelines are likely to improve firm performance — a question that regulators and corporations in Bangladesh are still working to answer.
"My research is not written for journals alone. Every study I publish is trying to say something useful to the people who make decisions — in government, in banks, in regulatory agencies. If this work helps even one policymaker ask a better question or design a better programme, then it has done its job, " said Rejaul Karim, Associate Professor of Finance, Department of Business Administration, Varendra University.
The studies collectively demonstrate that university-based research — particularly from regional institutions like Varendra University — can and should inform national policy. Each paper has been published in an internationally indexed, peer-reviewed journal, several of which carry Q1 rankings, giving Bangladesh's development challenges a platform in the global academic conversation.
Rejaul Karim's research profile covers sustainable finance, FinTech, SDG and environmental economics, circular economy, and corporate performance. His work is available on Google Scholar and through his institutional profile at Varendra University.
