Military and Development in Bangladesh

SUMMARY This article traces the origins of the Bangladesh army back to the British East India Company's army and follows its development through the colonial period, looking at the consequences of the exclusion of Bengalis after 1857. It shows why the Bengali sections of the Pakistan army were brought to the point of revolt in the national liberation struggle of 1971, and examines the factors which inhibited the development of a people's army and people's war. The erosion of public support for the Mujib government and the 1971 takeover are discussed. It is concluded that though there were important grievances internal to the military, the economic situation was the most significant element in these events. Resume Militarisme et développement au Bangladesh Cet article attribue les origines de l'armée du Bangladesh à l'armée de la British East India Company et suit son développement au cours de la période coloniale, examinant les conséquences de l'exclusion des Bengalis, après 1857. Il démontre pourquoi les factions bengalis de l'armée pakistanaise furent au point de se révolter lors de la lutte de libération nationale de 1971, et examine les facteurs qui entravèrent le développement d'une armée populaire et d'une guerre populaire. L'érosion du soutien public pour le gouvernement Mujib et la prise de pouvoir de 1971, sont examinées. L'article conclut que, malgré l'existence de griefs considérables au sein même de l'armée, c'est à la situation économique qu'il convient d'attribuer le rôle prépondérant, dans ces événements. Resumen El militarismo y el desarrollo en Bangladesh En este artículo se investigan los orígenes del ejército de Bangladesh remontándose hasta el ejército de la Compañía británica de la India Oriental y sigue su evolución a través del período colonial, poniendo de relieve las consecuencias de la exclusión de los bengalíes después de 1857. Se indica por qué las secciones bengalíes del ejército de Pakistán casi llegaron al borde de la revuelta en la lucha de liberación nacional de 1971 y se examinan los factores que impidieron la creación de un ejército del pueblo y una guerra del pueblo. Se analizan la erosión del apoyo popular para el gobierno de Mujib y el golpe de estado de 1971. Se llega a la conclusión de que aunque existían importantes agravios internos hacia los militares, la situación económica fue el elemento más significativo de dichos acontecimientos

Far Eastern Economic Review January-February 2006

Stephen Flynn on global shipping and terrorism Leo Goodstadt on Hongkong's priorities. Sharif D. Rangnekar and Manish Sharma on India's uneven development Stoyan Tenev, on China's economy Ben Hillman on indonesia Tae Hoon Oum and Katsuhiro Yamaguchi on Asia's aviation regulation Hugo Restall on Taiwan's president and its politics And others.Asia

FEER December 2005

Weijian Shan, economist and avid private equity investor, exposes the shortcomings of China’s stock markets and examines the failed attempts by the government to introduce meaningful stock-market reform. Omkar Goswami, economist and founder-chairman of CERG Advisory, argues that behind all the hype, there are clear reasons India’s growth prospects lag China’s. Greg Rushford, editor and publisher of the Rushford Report, reveals the dirty secret of the WTO—U.S. antidumping duties—and explains why they have been sidelined at the Hong Kong ministerial meeting. Barun S. Mitra, director of the Liberty Institute, looks at Hong Kong and India, and describes how different attitudes to free trade can make or break countries’ economies. Vaclav Smil, professor at the University of Manitoba, chronicles China’s water woes and predicts a bleak and thirsty future for the Middle Kingdom. Shelley Rigger, professor of international relations at Rhodes College, and John F. Copper, professor of international studies at Davidson College, assess how Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party might arrest—and blame itself for— its downward momentum. Kim Wan-soon, former investment ombudsman, and Lee You-il, international business lecturer, say the re-emergence of xenophobia in South Korea is making the task of attracting FDI more difficult. (read more...) Brahma Chellaney, of the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, says a devastating earthquake in northern Pakistan allows the region to clear away conditions that spawned terrorism. Kiichi Fujiwara, professor of law at the University of Tokyo, finds that Japan’s recent provocative gestures have their roots in imagined memories of World War II. Jared Genser, an attorney with the global law firm DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, explains the significance of the U.N. turning its attention to the plight of Burma.Asia, East Asia, earthquake, Pakistan, Burma, anti-dumping duties, WTO, Rushford Report