Economic vulnerability amidst COVID-19: a district-level analysis of Bangladesh using satellite nightlight data

Syed Rafsan Ali (), Syed Abul Basher () and Zaeem-Al Ehsan ()
Additional contact information
Syed Rafsan Ali: The World Bank South Asia Region
Syed Abul Basher: East West University
Zaeem-Al Ehsan: Duke University

Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, 2025, vol. 9, issue 1, No 11, 297-326

Abstract: Abstract This paper investigated the heterogeneous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic activities across Bangladesh’s 64 districts. Using satellite nightlight data as a proxy for economic activity, we analyzed how infection and mortality rates affected local economies. We found that, while residential mobility remained relatively stable, mobility patterns in retail and workplaces declined significantly. Nightlight intensity decreased sharply during the initial lockdown period, though the impact varied across districts. Despite a gradual post-2020 recovery, disparities between districts became evident. Primary industrial zones, especially those involved in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry, were substantially impacted. Regression results revealed a negative correlation between COVID-19 infections and nightlight intensity, indicating that areas with higher infection rates experienced greater declines in economic activity. Although some regions began to recover, major hubs, particularly those affected by the Delta variant, faced ongoing challenges. Our analysis highlights the importance of district-specific policies to address local disparities and support regional development.

Keywords: COVID-19 economic impact; Nightlights; Bangladesh districts; Regional disparity; Localized lockdown (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C23 E23 I15 O18 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41685-024-00364-4 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:apjors:v:9:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s41685-024-00364-4

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.springer ... cience/journal/41685

DOI: 10.1007/s41685-024-00364-4

Access Statistics for this article

Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science is currently edited by Yoshiro Higano

More articles in Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().