State, Market and Society in an Emerging Economy : Development and the Political Economy of Bangladesh

The economic and social development that Bangladesh has achieved in the past two decades has made Bangladesh a development paradox. This book tries to explain this paradox through a political economy lens. The book explains the linkages between the state, changing society and emerging private sector, and examines whether the social transformation taking place in Bangladesh has the potential to live up to the expectations of a middle- income country.

The early part of the book unravels the myriad relations between the state, society and market to project the aspirations of a newly independent nation. It analyzes how political turmoil, militarization of politics, politicization of institutions, reforms initiatives, industrial and social development policies, and the power nexus influenced the nature of the political economy of Bangladesh. The book goes on to examine how domestic appetite for capital and raw materials, the digital revolution, and the capacity of the local market to absorb expanded economic activities have created an environment that catalyzes innovation and entrepreneurship. The book also explains how the country has attempted to transform from an agrarian to a manufacturing- based economy, with rapid growth in the ready- made garment industry, pisciculture, pharmaceuticals and the ICT sector.

Bangladesh’s journey from an emerging economy towards a developed country would interest those researching on development economics and those in policy making.

Quamrul Alam is Professor of International Business and Strategy at Central Queensland University. Before joining Central Queensland University, Professor Alam worked at Monash University, La Trobe University and Victoria University of Australia. He has a strong research and project management background and has published over 50 journal articles, presented over 100 conference papers and reports, written six books and 21 book chapters, and chaired many sessions in international public management and governance conferences. Professor Alam has supervised 20 PhD research topics including public governance, regulatory governance, public sector leadership, public– private partnership, economic geography and international business, and local government and disaster management.

Rizwan Khair is currently working as a faculty member in the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance of North South University. A former career civil servant, he also served as Member Directing Staff in Bangladesh Public Administration Centre (BPATC) and was Director of the Institute of Governance Studies (IGS), now known as BIGD of BRAC University. His research interests and writings include public policy, public sector management and reforms, governance, human resource management, managing development and GO- NGO relations. His recent publications include co- editor of Managing Change for Better Public Service Delivery (Routledge) and ‘Participatory policy process in Bangladesh: Efforts in search of participatory governance?’ in Public Service Delivery in Bangladesh: Public Policy and Local Government (UPL, Bangladesh).

Asif M. Shahan is currently working as an associate professor at the Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka. He completed his PhD in Political Science and MPA from George Mason University, USA. His key areas of research are: politics– administration relationships, the emergence, evolution and performance of democratic political institutions, especially the institutions of accountability, performance- based accountability and the politics of policy process.