Using a case study of Bangladesh, and based on a long term participatory observation method, this book investigates claims of the success of microcredit, as well as the critiques of it, in the context of women’s empowerment. It confronts the distinction between women’s increasing wealth as a consequence of the success of microcredit programmes and their apparent non-commensurate empowerment, looking at two organisations (the Grameen Bank and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) as they operate in two localities in rural Bangladesh, in order to discover how enrichment and empowerment are often confused. The book goes on to establish that the well-publicised success stories of the microcredit programme are blown out of proportion, and that the dynamics of collective responsibility for repayment of loans by a group of women borrowers – usually seen to be a tool for the success of microcredit – is in fact no less repressive than traditional debt collectors. This book makes a contribution to development debates; challenging adherents to more closely specify those conditions under which microcredit does indeed have validity, as well as providing insights relevant to South Asian Studies and Development Studies.

The problem of alleviating rural poverty is discussed in this volume which uses Bangladesh as a case study to highlight the many facets of poverty, as a state and as a process. The contributors argue that the poor should not be seen as passive but as activators whose initiative, capacities and labour force are their best assests in the struggle against poverty.

The importance of scientific investigation and research is becoming more pronounced in today’s society, with many organizations relying on this research to make informed decisions. As such, research methodology courses have been integrated into undergraduate and master’s programs at most academic institutions where students are being challenged to conduct and write research. Social Research Methodology and New Techniques in Analysis, Interpretation, and Writing is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the main concepts of research writing, including the guidelines of research methodology and proposal designing. While highlighting topics such as mixed method research, research objectives, and project proposals, this publication provides examples of eight PhD proposals and the frameworks used in organizing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method research. This book is ideally designed for graduate-level students, academicians, researchers, educators, scholars, education administrators, and policymakers seeking current research on the key steps and techniques used in organizing social research proposals.

This case highlights the merger process of the two telecom operators in Bangladesh: Robi Axiata and Airtel Bangladesh. Before the talks even started, the companies were bombarded with possible impositions of high tax rates and mandatory government fees, along with increased competition from other telecom companies. The merger was on the verge of collapse because of the reported fees. Being the first telecom merger in Bangladesh, the implications of legal and social factors in the telecom sector are highlighted in this case, along with issues relating to market power and market shares. This case study will assist undergraduate and postgraduate students in analysing the role of government interventions, and business practice regulations, and the manner in which business transactions are executed.