Academic and Reference Books

In recent years the process of privatisation of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), spanning over more than two decades, has come under increasing scrutiny of both experts and civil society in Bangladesh. Conceptual framework of privatisation of SOEs, efficacy of institutions to carry out privatisation related reforms and operationalisation of the privatisation policies have come to be questioned by both experts, and the general public.

Across South Asia economic policy reforms were to accelerate growth by enhancing the countries internal and external competitiveness. To what extent did the sluggish trade performance of South Asian countries actually improve? To what extent have opportunities for regional trade and investment cooperation materialized in the more liberal post-reform context? Did inflows of foreign direct investment actually increase?

This important book deals with two issues: the emancipation of the Third World from the debt system and the re-appropriation of development by civil society through financial self-reliance. The author begins by analyzing the failure of 50 years of externally financed development. He shows how the foreign aid system- has had the perverse effect of downplaying the role of domestic savings and creating a chronic economic and technological dependency. It also subverted the political process in many countries by giving birth to a new class which Gelinas calls the aristocracy.

BRAC, arguably the world's largest and most successful NGO, is little known outside Bangladesh where it was established in 1972. Author Ian Smillie predicts, however, that this is bound to change. BRAC's success and the spread of its work in health, education, social enterprise development and microfinance dwarfs any other private, government or non-profit enterprise in its impact on tens of thousands of communities in Asia and Africa.