Bangladesh: Politics, Economy and Civil Society

Description

Since its hard-won independence from Pakistan, Bangladesh has been ravaged by economic and environmental disasters. Only recently has the country begun to emerge as a fragile, but functioning, parliamentary democracy. The story of Bangladesh, told through the pages of this concise and readable book, is a truly remarkable one. By delving into its past, and through an analysis of the economic, political and social changes that have taken place over the last twenty years, the book explains how Bangladesh is becoming of increasing interest to the international community as a portal into some of the key issues of our age. In this way the book offers an important corrective to the view of Bangladesh as a failed state.

David Lewis is an anthropologist by training and has written and researched extensively on development issues, particularly with reference to South Asia. His primary geographical focus is Bangladesh, but he has also worked in Nepal, India and the Philippines. Books include Anthropology, Development and the Postmodern Challenge (with K. Gardner, 1996) and The Management of Non-Governmental Development Organizations (2001). He recently completed a life work history research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) on the experiences and policy implications of activists and professionals who cross between the public sector and the non-governmental sectors. He is currently Professor of Social Policy and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

'This is a well-researched book that will be of use to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as to researchers whose work involves South Asia in general or Bangladesh in particular. The book is well organised and clearly argued. It is divided into consumable segments for those interested in a specific topic, though the author has also stitched a coherent and persuasive narrative from these parts ... This book addresses the need for a political economy informed analysis of Bangladesh. It delivers a strong basis for anyone interested in this overused character, providing readers with a clear path to what would otherwise take years of reading, research and analysis.' Brian Robert Cook, Area