Suchergebnisse

The story of South Asia is a topsy-turvy one. Soon after independence from British rule, the region seemed to have a much better prospect than many other parts of the Third World; the prospects soon dimmed, however, as South Asia crawled while East and Southeast Asia galloped away. But a large part of the region seems finally to have turned a corner and is looking forward to a much better future - in terms of both growth and human development - than was deemed possible at the time Asian Drama was written. This paper describes and explains this story in terms of the economic strategies and political economy of the region and also looks ahead to identify the major challenges that remain - focusing on Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan.

The Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and the IRDP (Integrated Rural Development Programme) of India have been trying to make a dent in rural poverty by extending credit for non-farm activities. While the results of IRDP have been generally disappointing, the Grameen Bank has been hailed as a huge success. The efforts of the Grameen Bank are, however, currently at a much lower scale compared to IRDP. The possible limits to Grameen Bank activities are analysed in the article. (DÜI-Sen)

Public policy for agricultural development in Bangladesh consists of a wide array of policy instruments covering almost every aspect of production and distribution. The paper critically evaluates these policies with specific reference to the foodgrain sector. In particular, it reviews the pricing and distribution policies with regard to fertilizer and irrigation. (DÜI-Sen)

The remarkable speed at which microcredit has expanded around the world in the last three decades has piqued the curiosity of practitioners and theorists alike. By developing innovative ways of making credit available to the poor, the idea of microcredit has challenged many traditional assumptions about both poverty reduction strategies and financial markets. While this has encouraged new theorising about how microcredit works, the practice of microcredit has itself evolved, often in unpredictable ways, outpacing the development of theory. The Theory and Practice of Microcredit aims to remedy this imbalance, arguing that a proper understanding of the evolution of practice is essential both for developing theories that are relevant for the real world and for adopting policies that can better realize the full potential of microcredit. By drawing upon their first-hand knowledge of the nature of this evolution in Bangladesh, the birthplace of microcredit, the authors have pushed the frontiers of current knowledge through a rich blend of theoretical and empirical analysis. The book breaks new grounds on a wide range of topics including: the habit-forming nature of credit repayment; the institutional strength and community-based role of microfinance institutions; the relationships between microcredit and informal credit markets; the pattern of long-term participation in microcredit programmes and the variety of loan use; the scaling up of microenterprises beyond subsistence; the "missing middle" in the credit market; and the prospects of linking micro-entrepreneurship with economic development. The book will be of interest to researchers, development practitioners and university students of Development Economics, Rural Development, or Rural Finance, as well as to public intellectuals.

Impact of remittances sent by Bangladesh workers in the Middle East on balance of payments and the income and savings of the remittance-receiving households in Bangladesh. The Wage Earners' Scheme introduces in Bangladesh in 1974. Furthermore, the authors make several alternative estimates of the flow of remittances. While the impact on the income of the remittance-receivers is substantial, such remittances have increased income inequality. (DÜI-Sen)