Academic and Reference Books

To the social scientists, Bangladesh is an enigma wrapped in paradoxes. She defied conventional prophets of gloom and doom during last three decades by making significant strides in social and economic spheres. Ironically, she is deeply divided politically despite bonds of extraordinary ethnic and linguistic homogeneity. The multiple dimensions of paradoxes of governance, economy and crucial sectors like finance and water are unwrapped in the twelve essays in this volume. While unrevealing the Bangladesh conundrum, this inter-disciplinary study uncovers a number of new paradoxes.

Economic Analyses of Contemporary Issues in Bangladesh is a collection of studies by economists and other social scientists, working mostly on economic and social policies and issues in Bangladesh. This compilation of analytically well-grounded studies by established researchers covers a variety of topics such as economic growth patterns, regional convergence of per-capita income, micro-credits, natural resource management, household choice of water and sanitation facilities, capital markets, exchange rate policy, corruption, and transfer pricing by foreign investors.

The central theme of the book is the changing paradigms of conflict and conflict resolution after the events of September 11. It also considers options for the South Asian countries to respond to challenges which they face in the dichotomy of US-led war against terrorism, the relevance of peace process and confidence-building measures in order to resolve inter and intra-state conflicts in the region. Paradigms of conflict resolution are passing through a transitory phase but it is a temporary phenomenon.

Currently the country is witnessing a growing debate on the role of external aid in the development of Bangladesh. Development economists and aid watchers contend that external aid received by Bangladesh since independence exceeding $29 billion. This has had no visible impact on the economic and social development of the country and that benefits of this aid did not reach the poor constituting the vast majority of the population of Bangladesh.