The Economy of Bangladesh A Quarter Century of Development

Khan analyzes the performance of the Bangladesh economy during the last quarter century, the period since its emergence from military rule and integration into the global economy. Its performance in growth, demographic transition, sharp reduction in aid dependence and improved social indicators has surprised the development community. In contrast to these successes, the development of the country has been characterized by major blemishes, notably rapidly increasing inequality, inadequate infrastructure, environmental degradation and an uneasy system of governance and democratic institutions.
This book identifies the factors behind the considerable success and continuing blemishes of Bangladesh's development experience. While the development community was bemused by Bangladesh's unexpected success in attaining high growth, and remarkable improvement in infant and child mortality, life expectancy, primary school enrolment and the status of women, it needs to be aware of the looming dangers to its ability to sustain and improve upon its past performance.

Azizur Rahman Khan is Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of California Riverside, USA. He has also taught at the London School of Economics, UK, and, as Visiting Professor at Pennsylvania State University and Columbia University, USA. He has held the position of Senior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, UK, as well as Research Director at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics and the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, and staff member of the ILO and the World Bank. He has published extensively in various areas of development economics and advised developing countries of Asia and Africa.

Part I: INTRODUCTION
1. The Context
2. Successes and Failures
3. An Outline
PART II: GROWTH AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE: AN OVERVIEW
4. Growth and Structure of Output
5. Demographic Transition
6. Change in the Structure of Employment
PART III: MACROECONOMIC ACCOUNTS: THE STRUCTURE OF DEMAND
7. Issues and Puzzles
8. Rising Rates of Saving and Investment
9. The External Balance
10. Foreign Capital Inflow
11. Capital Outflow
12. Selected Macroeconomic Issues Concerning Prices, Budget, Money and Banking
PART IV: THE EMERGING PATTERN OF STRUCTURAL CHANGE
13. Historical Experience
14. Structural Change of the Bangladesh Economy in the Historical Context
15. Desirable Directions of the Emerging Pattern of Change
PART V: AGRICULTURE: PAST SUCCESS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
16. Declining Importance of Agriculture
17. Production Performance
18. Factors behind the Growth of Agriculture
19. Institutional Reform
20. Future Directions
PART VI: STRUCTURE, GROWTH AND DIRECTION OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
21. The Size and Structure of Manufacturing Industries
22. Changing Structure of Manufacturing
23. Labor Productivity, Factor Intensity and Profitability
24. Gender Distribution of Employment
25. Labor Productivity, Factor Intensity and Profitability by Size and Ownership
26. Cottage Industries
27. Incentives and Obstacles
PART VII: TRADE AND GLOBAL LINKS
28. Trade Regime and Development
29. An Evaluation of the Reformed Trade Regime
30. Export-Led Development?
31. Merchandize Imports
32. Remittances
33. Global Links: Foreign Direct Investment, Foreign Debt and Exchange Rate
PART VIII: INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
34. Introduction
35. Transport
36. Energy
37. Skill Development
38. Environment
PART IX: INCOME DISTRIBUTION, POVERTY AND LIVING STANDARD
39. Introduction
40. Measuring Income
41. Measuring Inequality and Its Sources
42. Poverty Reduction
43. Indicators of Living Standard
44. Main Findings
PART X: CONCLUSION: CREDITS, CONSTRAINTS AND PROSPECTS
45. Factors behind the Achievements
46. Failures, Reasons Thereof and Challenges
47. Governance
48. The Future
49. Annex to Chapters Two and Three: Bangladesh National Accounts
50. Annex to Chapter Nine
51. An Assessment of the Survey Data
52. Some Additional Data on Inequality and Poverty Estimates
List of Works Cited
Index