Bangladesh Studies

At the dawn of the 21st century the specter of terror has come to haunt the minds of the citizenary and policymakers alike. Three reasons seem to be responsible for this. Firstly, the empowering status of non-state entities. Secondly, the easy availability of deadly, weaponry, including the knowledge of turning grocery items into improvised explosive devices. And thirdly, the arrival of suicide bombers priding on civilian targets, and that again, with an aggressiveness primarily grounded in faith rather than on reason.

Bangladesh has witnessed rising Islamic radicalization, extremism and militancy in various manifestations for more than 10 years. In the aftermath of 9/11, religious militancy has intensified in South Asia. The dramatic rise in terrorist activities in recent years has taken on the form of bomb explosions and suicide bombings generating fear, undermining political stability and hurting business confidence.

This book includes selected papers on crop suitability and agricultural development based on the author's extensive experience with soils and agricultural development in Bangladesh. Written between 1974 and 1989, the papers range from popular journal articles to formal reports to Government. The successive chapters, updated by footnotes, provide a realistic appraisal of the opportunities for increasing agricultural production in Bangladesh's diverse environments.

The liberal democratic values and the constitutional system have suffered serial reversals in Bangladesh, accompanied by a trend towards authoritarian and unaccountable government. The failure of the political system and politicians is blamed conventionally. That alone cannot explain the reversals sufficiently; the deep conflict of secular nationalism and liberal democracy with communal and authoritarian political culture explain the political and constitutional regresses.