Macroeconomic issues and policies

Bangladesh is often cited as an example of a country which has failed both on the development and economic fronts and is widely perceived as facing a gloomy future. Utilising a broad political and economic perspective, Akhtar Hossain challenges this negative perception through his analysis of the country's economy since its independence in 1971.

The first part of the book deals with the wider issues of economic growth, structural change and social development. In the second part, the author provides a detailed examination of major macroeconomic issues and policies including those relating to stabilisation and growth; the seed-fertiliser-irrigation technology and rural poverty; money supply growth and inflation; land taxation; and foreign trade, balance of payments and external debt.

In the concluding chapter, Dr Hossain addresses the broader development issues and underscores the need to build institutions and to provide macroeconomic and political stability in order to achieve economic growth and development. On the basis of both the empirical evidence and his detailed examination of the inherent strengths and weaknesses of Bangladesh's economy, he arrives at a cautiously optimistic conclusion concerning the future of the country.

This book will be of considerable interest to students of economics in general, and particularly those focusing on finance, politics, development studies and South Asian Studies.