Power and Participation Research Centre - PPRC

27/08/2026

If you missed the live airing of Ajker Agenda, you can watch the entire discussion now! 📺👇

(Medicine Price: Arguments and Way Forward / ওষুধের দাম: কি যুক্তি? কার যুক্তি? সমাধান কি?)

PPRC convened top health economists, legal scholars, public health champions, and pharmaceutical CEOs to dissect the real forces driving medicine prices in Bangladesh, and how to build sustainable, patient-first solutions.

👇 Catch the full episode here:

Join us for an insightful virtual session under the 'Ajker Agenda' ...

26/08/2026

📢 We’re Hiring: Media Manager

Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) is looking for a Media Manager to join our To***co Control Project.
If you have experience in media and communications, journalism, social media, digital content, advocacy, or development communication and are interested in using communication to support evidence-based policy and public advocacy, we would like to hear from you.

The role will involve media engagement, social media and digital content development, communicating research findings to wider audiences, media monitoring, event communications, and supporting PPRC’s tobacco-control advocacy initiatives.

📍 Duty Station: PPRC Office, Dhaka
📅 Application Deadline: 29 August 2026

Scan the QR code in the post to view the details and apply.

Link to Google Form: https://forms.gle/oTWq76soDcMjCDEM9

Link to Terms of Reference (TOR): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KXL0agoQIR30v19SeFLzi0NOMC38s-is/view?usp=sharing

For queries, feel free to inbox us or email [email protected].
We encourage interested candidates to apply and share this opportunity with relevant professionals in your network.

***coControl

24/08/2026

At Ajker Agenda, PPRC Executive Chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman outlined critical challenges and solutions for Bangladesh's healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. He noted that progress relies on continuous discussion among all key actors, including the government, pharmaceutical companies, consumers, and other relevant parties.

23/08/2026

At Ajker Agenda, Kaiser Kabir contended that robust local competition keeps Bangladesh's medicine prices among the lowest globally, whereas rigid artificial price caps trigger critical supply shortages. He pointed out that the true barrier to healthcare access is the failure of public procurement systems to provide free hospital drugs, forcing patients to pay out-of-pocket. He urged targeted government subsidies for high-cost imported therapies while letting market dynamics regulate local prices.

23/08/2026

At Ajker Agenda, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua asserted that affordable access to medicine is a fundamental "Right to Life" that requires strong state oversight rather than unchecked market forces. He criticized recent legal shifts that weakened government price control authority, leading to sudden price spikes. He called for strict enforcement of prescription controls and active market regulation to protect vulnerable patients from exploitation.

23/08/2026

At Ajker Agenda, Mosaddek Hossain warned that static administrative price controls have caused many essential medicines to vanish from the market due to negative manufacturing margins. He advocated for market-driven pricing among local producers to maintain domestic supply and sustain high-quality manufacturing. He also urged the government to replace rigid interim frameworks with realistic policies that support industry growth and biological transitions.

23/08/2026

At Ajker Agenda, Prof. Syed Abdul Hamid emphasized that pharmaceutical prices must be periodically updated using transparent, inflation-indexed formulas rather than political decisions. He argued that artificially freezing essential drug prices forces manufacturers out of production, threatening medicine availability. He urged the creation of an independent regulatory body to manage price adjustments smoothly and objectively.

23/08/2026

At Ajker Agenda, Prof. Dr. Rumana Huque highlighted that high out-of-pocket medical expenses stem from poor distribution, rural-urban inequities, and rampant self-medication. She called for strict government monitoring across the entire pharmaceutical supply chain, from production to retail. She also urged transparent cost-plus pricing for essential drugs and an expanded role for EDCL to ensure free medicines reach patients.

22/08/2026

21/08/2026

The PPRC family is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Khairul Islam, a distinguished public health professional and humanitarian who most recently served as Regional Director for South Asia at WaterAid.

Throughout his career, Dr Khairul dedicated himself to improving public health and advancing access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. His commitment, compassion and thoughtful leadership left a lasting impact on the development community and on the many colleagues, institutions and communities with whom he worked.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues at WaterAid and all those who had the privilege of knowing and working with him. May he rest in peace.