This report offers an approach to, and analysis of, rural poverty in Bangladesh which is clearly an alternative to much conventional thinking. It focuses specifically on the very poor rural majority and situates them within the wider social and political realities of the country. It is qualitative as well as quantitative and goes beyond the usual definitions and measurements of poverty to try to understand the processes and causes of impoverishment. Two sets of questions are tackled in particular. First, what is the present configuration of rural poverty in Bangladesh and how have conditions changed over time? Second, what have been the patterns of development assistance, and within the context of national policies and programmes, how and to what extent has this assistance affected the lives of the rural poor?