Bangladesh Studies

Since the middle of the nineteenth century, the need for a social revolution has been felt and talked about by the middle class in Bengal. But, ironically, it was the middle class itself that has hindered the revolution. The state has changed in size and name but not in character, indicating that relationships within society have remained basically as they were before. This book examines the double role of the Bengali middle class. Middle class's participation in politics and achievements in the fields of education, literature and culture have been remarkable.

The mapping of the changing historical relationships between people, lands and identities in the central tribal belt of India and in north-eastern parts of the South-Asian subcontinent, sets the context for this study's investigation of one of the world's least known minority situations. The currently muted drama of human rights violations and escalating livelihood crisis among the Adivasis in north-western Bangladesh unfolds within a sub-region of bewilderingly many and interconnected ethnic and ethno-nationalistic struggles for political recognition.

ROAD TO BANGLADESH SERIES is designed to present published accounts of the background to the emergence of Bangladesh. The Series showcases such a collection that, when put together, achieves a well-rounded narrative of the events of 1971. Books in the series should be an invaluable collection for those interested in South Asian affairs, particularly students and scholars of politics, history, development and social transformation.

Existence of opposition both as alternative government and as critic of the party in power is a significant feature of democratic system. Opposition assumes an important role in parliamentary democracy along with its formal functions inside the legislature to constantly monitor the Treasury. This book gives an analytical account of the oppositions role in Bangladesh politics since independence under successive regimes. The author examines opposition's parliamentary activities and its mode of operation outside the legislature.