Academic and Reference Books

The problems of governance have occupied the centre stage of national debate in Bangladesh since independence. But at this particular point in time, their appropriate resolution has assumed unprecedented importance and urgency in our national life. With only five years to go before we enter the 21st century, our nation has reached a stage from where we may either move forward to a bright future or relapse into darkness. It is in this context that governance issues in Bangladesh have to be analysed for finding adequate solutions and means of implementation.

This book is about birth practices among poor, rural women in Bangladesh. Kaosar Afsana has used a multidimensional framework for the study. She draws upon ideas and perspectives from history, anthropology, gender and socio-political economy to analyse experiences of self and other, which are truly impressive. It is a pioneering study where various choices available for birthing care in the country are addressed.

Bangladesh, despite its commendable progress in terms of basic education, has not been able to deal with its child labour problem. There is no single approach to the eradication of the problem, but a better understanding of the reasons why children work, the conditions under which they work and the impact it has on their lives should go a long way in improving policies and in raising awareness. It is important to document how damaging child labour can be. This study of the capital city of the country Dhaka, is revealing in many ways.

The book addresses the case of child labour by moving beyond the usual concern that regards the phenomenal essentially as an 'evil', harmful and corrupt, and instead attempts to assess children’s work in the relevant socio-economic and cultural context. It examines the specification of girl child labour in the garment industry and underlines how tradition , culture, religion, and sexual division of labour determine the parameters within which they live, work and resist patriarchal control and differential treatment at home and in the workplace.