Economic
Exploitation of Bangladesh
The
Reviewer: Tahmid Ahmed Adib
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About
Author: The
author, after graduating from Chittagong College (Bangladesh)
in 1967, studied law for a year and went to England
in 1968 where he intended to study Bar-at-Law. However,
having experienced prejudicial treatment in England,
he changed his mind and later moved to the United
States in 1969. In New York he pursued his graduate
study in Economics while working for Sterling Drug
in its International Division. He graduated in 1975
and was soon elevated to an executive position with
responsibilities over Sterling's worldwide materials
management. The job exposed him to the world of international
trade in which he later specialized. Based on his
knowledge and experience, the author was invited to
participate in various international business seminars.
He helped a number of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs enter
into world
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trade.
By 1980 he had set up a consulting business for international
trade. However, after the sudden death of his wife in 1982,
he devoted the next few years mostly to raising his young
children. In 1988 he accepted a management position at Pan
American World Airways. where he worked until its demise in
1991. He later used this opportunity to enter the teaching
profession. He taught at various High Schools, New York Institute
of Technology, Farmingdale University (SUNY) and in 2001 he
joined the Economics faculty at C W Post Campus of Long Island
University, New York, where he currently teaches.
The
Book Review :
This
is an outstanding book written in a very easily readable
tone for all ages and types of readers. This can be a collectible
item for everyone who wants to know about the economy, politics,
social settings and above all, the brief history of impoverished
Bangladesh and the ways once this rich land has been getting
exploited over the period of time till to this date.
The writer is currently an educator at Long Island University
of New York, USA who has extensive academic and professional
knowledge and experience that certainly qualify him to write
this interestingly informative book. In his own words, the
writer states that its targetted readers are the younger
generation and general public. However, it can be very helpful
to journalists, educators, students, researchers and policy
makers due to its vast economy related information. Mr.
Mahfuz has eagerly intended to analyze the past in brief
so that the policy-makers get benefitted by themselves to
implement the correct plan that definitely will bring prosperity
in every sphere of Bangladesh.
There are seventeen chapters in total, excluding Bibliography.
Among these, one listed as 'Map of Bangladesh'. The other
titled as ' Vital Statistical Tables'. The single page 'Map'
chapter may not help the home people, but can be helpful
to the outsiders living abroad to get a brief overview of
Bangladesh's geography.
Except the `Map' chapter,the rest of the fifteen chapters
are short, full of adequate information written in a very
understandable English. The reader does not have to a master
in the language as a prerequisite to grasp the sense of
these chapters.
The book starts with an 'Introduction' chapter, as usual,
where it summarizes the total contents very efficiently.
At the end, the writer says, ".... vital economic development
has escaped the country". It briefly focuses on various
exploitors of the land, their applied methods to exploit,
political arena from the Mughals to the present ruling class-dictated
Bangladesh and the overall criteria to development.
The next chapter titled 'Historical Background'. It mainly
tells about the different rulers of Bengal, their principal
motives and methods to rule over, duration of their regime
briefly.
From the chapter titled ' The Influence of the Mughals in
Bengal' to the chapter titled 'Indian Influence on Bangladesh
Economy' can picture the writer as a wise well-wisher of
Bangladesh with appropriate patriotism who narrates everything
in details but in short, sytematically and very neutrally.
In fact, the writer has done an outstanding task in doing
that very successfully.
Basically two chapters carry the main theme of the book.
'The Problem with Economic Development of Bangladesh' deals
with indicating problems that are hindering the economic
development process from a its past to present. But it has
been viewed from global perspective. Thus came the issues
of chronological political scenario, political economy,
poverty, health care, political corruption and disqualifications
of ruling class politicians etc.. 'The Future of Bangladesh
Economy' mainly focuses on economic policy, industry, agriculture,
international trade, globalization, manpower, sources of
crime and social instability, employment, non-development
expenditure like defense and other national burning issues.
The writer does not mention what type of policy should be
implemented, what type of government and political ideology
should rule and be followed to make Bangladesh exploitation-free.
Although he shows that all applied policies and ideologies
have failed so far and a thorough change in economic, social
and political policies are needed to ensure the optimum
development and prosperity. He criticizes the vulgar political
climate well, but does not mention explicitly what should
be done to change the situation in favor of true democracy.
Mr. Mahfuz extensively relies on the World Bank for most
of the data. Since this institution has been criticized
vigorously all over the world for its wrong, destructive,
anti-labor prescriptions to protect the interests of US
imperialism, its multinational companies in the LDCs manipulatively,
so the credibility of information gathered in the book can
be challenged.
If more geographical colorful maps could be included in
each chapter, the book surely would have been a luscious
one. The writer can update the map at the end in touch of
colors. It has been priced reasonably in terms of information
it contains. There are few noticable printing mistakes in
it. The table of contents carries the most of it. The cover
is simple, but not profoundly artistic. An artistic cover
can draw more eyes towards it easily. So the writer needs
to pay attention into these matters in future.
Still expressing the blatant truth, Mr. Mahfuz R. Choudhury
has been very successful to introduce a thoroughly sketched
economic situation of Bangladesh from past to present and
his predictions for the future are remarkably accurate.
The book itself can be a collectible item if the next edition
can be improved and well edited to make it flawless.
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