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Banglar Pathshala Foundation, a youth-driven intellectual and social platform in Bangladesh, in collaboration with Mutual Trust Bank PLC (MTB) as its principal partner, inaugurated the International Lecture Series #14: Individual Well-being and Social Welfare (IWSW) on Saturday, September 6, 2025.
The event, held virtually with participants from 16 countries, marks the beginning of a six-month journey of 13 sessions exploring the intersections of economics, ethics, well-being, and social justice, inspired by Professor Amartya Sen’s capability approach and social choice theory.
The inaugural session was graced by the presence of Professor Amartya Sen as Chief Guest. With characteristic depth and humility, he reminded participants that neither happiness nor income alone can define development. While both are important, the true measure lies in whether people enjoy the freedom and capabilities to lead lives they have reason to value. As Professor Sen observed, “We aspire to a world in which we genuinely want to live”—words that now stand as an enduring intellectual cornerstone of the program.
This lecture series builds upon Banglar Pathshala’s earlier initiatives, including its 12th Study Circle on Amartya Sen in 2020, where 12 distinguished scholars examined diverse aspects of his work. Among them, Professor Kaushik Basu (Cornell University, USA) delivered a notable lecture on Social Choice, Public Policy, and Individual Liberty. The present initiative can be seen as a broader and deeper exploration of Sen’s social choice theory in today’s contexts.
The opening session was further dignified by Professor Rehman Sobhan (Chair), alongside MTB Director Syed Nasim Manzur and MTB Managing Director & CEO Syed Mahbubur Rahman and, whose presence reaffirmed MTB’s enduring commitment to education, knowledge-sharing, and social responsibility.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor Sabina Alkire (University of Oxford), who spoke on the capability approach and Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness (GNH). Distinguished panelists Swati Narayan and Dr. Sajeda Amin enriched the discussion, addressing the multidimensional nature of poverty, environmental degradation, well-being, and inclusion, particularly within the cultural contexts of South Asia.
The dialogue emphasized the urgent need for robust, multidimensional indicators of well-being, reminding participants that poverty is not defined by income alone but also by health, education, justice, dignity, and cultural identity. Professor Alkire noted how frameworks such as the Stiglitz–Sen–Fitoussi Commission, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Bhutan’s GNH continue to reshape global debates on development.
In his concluding reflections, Professor Rehman Sobhan reinforced that poverty alleviation must be understood as both a moral and political project, urging participants to embrace the multidimensional realities of deprivation when designing policies and strategies.
“This study circle is not just an academic exercise; it is a global knowledge exchange platform bringing together young minds, scholars, and practitioners to reimagine how individual well-being and social welfare can be advanced in our time,” said Ahmed Javed Chowdhury, founder of Banglar Pathshala Foundation and Assistant Professor of Economics at City University, Bangladesh.
Over the next six months, the Study Circle will host 13 lectures by internationally renowned scholars, including Professor Prasanta K. Pattanaik (University of California, Riverside), who serves as the Convener of the lecture series.
This initiative reflects Banglar Pathshala Foundation’s 17-year journey of nurturing intellectual discourse and social imagination, and MTB’s vision of advancing knowledge, youth empowerment, and sustainable progress.
