Development, Neoliberalism, and Islamism in South Asia

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1     Presentation of Chapters 8

Chapter 2: Development, Political Economy, and Neoliberalism.. 12

2.1     Development in Context: Historical Processes and Contested Categories 12

2.2     The Late 18th-Century Rise of Industrial Capitalism.. 15

2.3     The 1944 Bretton Woods Conference and the end of WWII 17

2.4     The Breakdown of the Bretton Woods control in early 1970s: Capital Movements and Beyond. 20

2.5     International Development 27

Chapter 3: Neoliberalism, Class Structures and Politics of Development in Bangladesh. 35

3.1     Contemporary Bangladesh and Class Structures 35

3.2     Dual Hegemony and Expanding Inequality. 44

3.3     The Construction of Poverty. 50

Chapter 4: Neoliberalism, Infrastructure and Philosophical Poverty. 59

4.1     Contemporary Bangladesh, BRTA and the World Bank. 59

4.2     Bangladesh Road and Transport Authority (BRTA) 61

4.3     Neoliberal Directives in Post-Secondary Education. 72

4.4     Free Market Induced Short Term Outcomes in Bangladeshi Higher Education. 75

4.5     Euphemisms and Marketing Globalization. 79

4.6     Rickshaw Faculty. 80

4.7     "McDonaldization" of Culture. 82

4.8     Zombie Graduates. 86

4.9     Betrayal by the Neo-elites and Intellectuals. 87

Chapter 5: Neoliberalism, Islam and Intolerance. 89

5.1     Theoretical influence. 91

5.2     Islam-neoliberalism in contemporary Turkey,

Mustahid Husain is a scholar based at the University of British Columbia, Canada. 

"This ambitious work intends to bring three apparently different themes under a broad framework: development, neo-liberalism, and Islamic politics. ... The book is quite well referenced, refers to the works of some leading theorists in the field, the book would be a nice introductory reading for students and researchers studying development studies and South Asia, in general, and Bangladesh, in particular." (Sujay Ghosh, Economic & Political Weekly, epw.in, Vol. 58 (18), May 6, 2023)

"Husain's monograph stands as an excellent introduction to the state of western development in Bangladesh and the ways in which neoliberal strategies have abandoned and exploited the lower classes and the poor, instead working to fill the coffers of the development aid industry ... . the work offers a much needed examination and critical evaluation of the nearly 50 years of development in Bangladesh and the very real human consequences they have had for the people living there." (Cooper Dunn, Contemporary South Asia, October 12, 2022)

"The monograph extensively incorporates critical theories and is informed by data collected from multi-sited empirical observations and other field work in Bangladesh. ... Development, Neoliberalism, and Islamism: The Case of Bangladesh offers a great jumping off point for those wishing to understand the intricacies and shortcomings of neoliberal development in Bangladesh and the very real socioeconomic consequences they have for Bangladeshi citizens." (Cooper Dunn, Canadian Journal of Development Studies, October 10, 2022)

"Among various empirical research methods the author conducted to study development-induced corruption in Bangladesh, I am especially fascinated by his interlocutors from different positions in the system. ... The book also offers a unique perspective on the Bangladesh military ... . The empirical findings presented in the book will be of great interest to the students, academics, and practitioners vis-à-vis equitable,