EconTalk is an annual seminar organized by the Department of Economics. BUP Economics club could not have been more ecstatic to again host this famed annual seminar, ‘EconTalk 2024,’ titled “The Emerging Digital Economy in Bangladesh: Unexplored Avenues of Taxation.” This year's seminar focused on exploring the challenges and opportunities posed by the growing digital economy in Bangladesh from a taxation perspective.

Bangladesh, like many other countries, is experiencing rapid growth in digital transactions, e-commerce, and other online activities. However, traditional tax frameworks are not well-equipped to effectively capture and tax these digital transactions. The topic delved into various aspects such as: how the digital economy is evolving in Bangladesh, the types of digital transactions and activities that are becoming prevalent, challenges faced by tax authorities in effectively taxing digital transactions, potential avenues for taxation in the digital economy, and policy recommendations for updating tax laws and regulations to address the digital economy, among others.

BUP Economics Club was thrilled to announce Professor Mustafizur Rahman, one of the country’s sharpest economists, as our keynote speaker for EconTalk 2024. Professor Rahman is a prominent economist in South Asia, recognized for his extensive academic and professional contributions. He has earned his Masters and PhD degrees from prestigious universities in Ukraine and Russia. At the time, he served as a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). With his extensive expertise, he has played a pivotal role in developing Bangladesh's Sixth and Seventh Five Year Plans and the ambitious Second Perspective Plan, Bangladesh Vision 2041.

In addition to that, Assistant Professor MD. Adib Ahmed and Associate Professor Dr. MD. Shariful Islam from the Department of Economics (BUP) made a solid ground in the dialogue as well to determine what Bangladesh can learn by analyzing the digital economy tax systems. Through learning from best practices as well as biggest mistakes, Bangladesh can shape the policy landscape that reigns in its revenue-generation potential.

Along with, BUP Economics Club has successfully pulled off this event with the tremendous efforts of students from the Department of Economics as organizers and the cordial support of students throughout BUP for their spontaneous participation. Special appreciation to Brigadier General Mohammad Shamsul Arefin, ndc, psc (Dean FASS), Lieutenant Colonel Md Sarwar-Bin-Quasem, BPM, psc, AC (Chairman, Department of Economics) and other faculty members of the department of economics for their genial guidance and inspiration for making this seminar a triumphant success. The club is truly optimistic that all the audience and participants were able to learn different aspects about digital economy and its unexplored avenues of taxation through this experience at the seminar.