Traffic congestions in Dhaka and socio-economic development in Bangladesh: some micro and macro-level connections

Abstract

Development Issues of Bangladesh-III has been written with the theme: human development and quality of life in Bangladesh. The two concepts, central to the evolution of a civilized society, are approached from a variety of perspectives that include key global indexes and their role in Bangladesh, various economic, social, and human aspects of development, governance and identity issues, class factions and the potential for democratization, empowerment and rights, especially of women, the role of a gender development index to account for women and their contributions, rural financial markets, health care, fertility, literacy and education and the potential for e-learning, environmental issues, as well as political economy and finance. The sixteen articles in this volume provide a critical examination of the above issues and a rigorous analysis of empirical data that relate to human development and quality of life. This volume also attempts to provide policy prescriptions for problems centering on the main theme. The timely subject matter, objective analysis, and policy prescriptions are expected to prove useful to academicians, development practitioners and policy makers in Bangladesh, as well as in other developing countries. Bangladesh Development Initiative (BDI), the sponsoring organization of this book, is a US-based think-tank of scholars and professionals devoted to the generation and dissemination of knowledge on development issues of Bangladesh. BDI's efforts are focused on reaching policy-makers, academicians, politicians, diplomats, businessmen, students, and the wider constituency. Consistent with this objective, BDI has already published two volumes: Development Issues of Bangladesh in November 1996 and Development Issues of Bangladesh-II in April 2003. The University Press Limited in Bangladesh has published both volumes.