Bangladesh society and the global milieu Issues and counter-narratives

In The Law of Civilization and Decay Brooks Adams had noted that "It is not too much to say that the destiny of Europe hinged upon the conquest of Bengal." Incidents underpinning the statement witnessed the country s colonisation by the English, Industrial Revolution in England with "Bengal plunder" and its pivotal role in the passage of the era of pre-capitalist globalisation to that of the capitalist one. At its independence in 1971, undermining the viability of Bangladesh some pundits of the "First World had viewed her as "bottomless basket", "test case of development" etc. But enduring all calamities the country attained immense growth to be extolled as "one of Asia s most remarkable and unexpected success stories in recent years." However, for reasons emanating from forces and factors related to the exigencies of late globalisation and its regional and local ramifications, sustainability of such "success stories" remains deeply uncertain. Indeed, deeper uncertainties of things have been causing serious worries for mankind as a whole for many decades now that surfaced more egregiously with the onset of the 21st century.