Local Governance And Decentralization In Bangladesh: Politics and Economics

Dr. Abul Barkat is a Professor of Department of Economics at the University of Dhaka. Popularly known as “people’s economist”, Dr. Barkat is one of the most reputed and respected political economists in and beyond Bangladesh. His areas of research are diverse including socio-economic structure and development, poverty and humane development, rent seeking and inequality, land rights and agrarian reform, development as right, governance and development, population and health, and economics of fundamentalism. Dr. Barkat is credited with over six hundred high quality research works including research books, edited volumes, journal articles, monographs and thought provoking papers for national and international conferences. Dr. Barkat’s research based pioneering books are Political Economy of Madrassa Education in Bangladesh: Genesis, Growth, and Impact (2011); Minorities and the State: Changing Social and Political Landscape of Bengal (co-edited) (2011); Social Protection Measures in Bangladesh: As Means to Improve Child Well-being (2011); Life and Land of Adibashis: Land Dispossession and Alienation of Abidashis in the Plain Districts of Bangladesh (2009); Deprivation of Hindu Minority in Bangladesh: Living with Vested Property (2008); Development as Conscientization: The Case of Nijera Kori in Bangladesh (2008); Charland in Bangladesh: Political Economy of Ignored Resource (2007); Political Economy of Land Litigation in Bangla-desh: A Case of Colossal National Wastage (2004); Political Economy of Khas Land in Bangladesh (2001); An Inquiry into Causes and Consequences of Deprivation of Hindu Minorities in Bangladesh through the Vested Property Act: Framework for a Realistic Solution (2000); Political Economy of Vested Property Act in Rural Bangladesh (1997). He actively participates in the civil society activities. Dr. Barkat is a rarely blended political economist of international repute who is also highly respected for his intellectual activist leadership on issues of development as right, political economy of religious fundamentalism, agrarian reform, and minority rights. He is the current (2012-14) elected President of Bangladesh Economic Association and one of the founders of Dhaka School of Economics.