Palash Kamruzzaman
University of South Wales, Humanities and Social Sciences, Department Member
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A major international donor conference for sustained support for the Rohingya refugees was convened on October 22, 2021. It was a virtual conference organized and co-hosted by the Secretary of State of the United States of America, the... more
A major international donor conference for sustained support for the Rohingya refugees was convened on October 22, 2021. It was a virtual conference organized and co-hosted by the Secretary of State of the United States of America, the High Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union and the Vice-President of the European Commission, the Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This article critically evaluates this important event and explores the extent to which this international aid donor conference was consistent with the main principles of international aid effectiveness. It provides a critical analysis of a large-scale donor conference which reveals gaps in the theories, promises and practices of international aid. The focus is on the ownership of aid policies and who determines the aid agenda in this case of the large...
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This research interrogates the idea of participation in theory and practice in recent development thought, taking Bangladesh's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) as a case study. The PRSP framework, the latest in the... more
This research interrogates the idea of participation in theory and practice in recent development thought, taking Bangladesh's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) as a case study. The PRSP framework, the latest in the 'prescription series' from two globally influential trans-national monetary organisations, has been operationalised as a condition for their various aid and debt relationships with poor countries. However, at the same time, the PRSP approach purports to be 'country-owned', tailored in each country through a participatory process. Possible contradictions between genuine participation and its imposition as a condition for obtaining debt and aid led this study to investigate whether participation actually enhanced Bangladesh's PRSP process.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
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This book analyses government relationships with international financial institutions (IFIs) to evaluate the role of citizen participation in formulating national poverty reduction policies in low-income countries.
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Displacement, Dignity, and Global Development (Panel 46 of Development Studies Association Annual Conference 2020). Long abstract: Put simply, the recent statistics on global displacement are shocking. According to the Office of the... more
Displacement, Dignity, and Global Development (Panel 46 of Development Studies Association Annual Conference 2020). Long abstract: Put simply, the recent statistics on global displacement are shocking. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 2019 report, nearly 70.8 million people were displaced at the end of 2018. The number of globally displaced people has been doubled in the last 20 years from its previous peak at 3.7 per 1000 people in 1992 to 9.3 per 1000 people in 2018 resulting in an alarming trend of around 37000 people are becoming newly displaced every day. Displaced people (as refugees; asylum seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs)) are fleeing war, persecution, violent conflicts, and human rights violations and thereby represent one of the major global political and development challenges of the current time. While it is overwhelmingly the developing countries that are most affected, displacement often takes away the dignity of the displaced people who are already likely to have experienced torture, trauma, and worst forms of violence and crime. There is a paucity of literature suggesting whether humanitarian interventions uphold/further or detract the dignity of vulnerable displaced communities (ODI, 2019). In this context, this panel aims to explore what roles state/political leadership, market, and civil society can play in finding dignified resolutions for displaced people and communities? What roles are there for the development researchers, academics, and policymakers - because 'no one becomes a refugee by choice; but the rest of us can have a choice about how we help' (UNHCR, 2019). Accepted papers: - 'Revisiting' dignity in the contexts of displacement - evidence from Rohingyas in Bangladesh and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan - Assisting IDPs in Adama, Ethiopia: A whole-of-society approach - Ensuring "dignified resolution" for the refugees in Ghana: The role of academia Full recorded session can be found on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_qWS6Sx8GE&feature=youtu.be
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Bangladesh frequently suffers from acute riverbank erosions and, as a result, every year a large number of people internally migrate to new places mainly in search of livelihoods. While very few studies focus on the multifaceted nature of... more
Bangladesh frequently suffers from acute riverbank erosions and, as a result, every year a large number of people internally migrate to new places mainly in search of livelihoods. While very few studies focus on the multifaceted nature of vulnerability experienced from riverbank erosions, the present study examines to what extent different drivers of vulnerability affect socio-economically disadvantaged internal migrants living in riverbank erosion-prone areas in Bangladesh. Empirical evidence from two north-western riverbank erosion-prone districts in Bangladesh demonstrates that the disadvantaged internal migrants and their household members were exposed to a range of vulnerabilities connected to economic, institutional, infrastructural, environmental, and social drivers. It is contended that evidently there are different types of vulnerability some of which are perceived to be more severe than others in the study areas. This study, therefore, suggests extending some specific supp...
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This chapter reviews the troubled relationship between empowerment and community participation. It considers the history of each concept and some main areas of debate. It then reviews some typologies which seek to identify forms of... more
This chapter reviews the troubled relationship between empowerment and community participation. It considers the history of each concept and some main areas of debate. It then reviews some typologies which seek to identify forms of participation that are and are not empowering, and discusses a series of critiques which suggest either or both concepts have been de-radicalised as they have moved nearer the centre of development thinking. This theoretical discussion is then grounded in a brief review of some examples of participation in development practice. The chapter closes by considering how the representation of and possibilities for participation and empowerment are shaped by the character of the development industry.
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This paper assesses whether selected power sector policies in Bangladesh may have been subject to excessive political interference in contrast to rational and open decision-making approach. This is done by comparing techno-economic... more
This paper assesses whether selected power sector policies in Bangladesh may have been subject to excessive political interference in contrast to rational and open decision-making approach. This is done by comparing techno-economic assessments with populist narratives on the merits and demerits of three specific policies. While the populist narrative is critical of all three policies, techno-economic assessments are less conclusive and some aspects are explained by the context in which the policy planning has occurred. The paper reflects on the differences between populist narrative and techno-economic assessment and suggests how an awareness of their differences may inform future planning.
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Theoretically, the idea of participation might appear to be replete with grand-sounding promises of empowerment for the poor and marginalised. But, in practice, participation may often take the form of enlisting people in various social... more
Theoretically, the idea of participation might appear to be replete with grand-sounding promises of empowerment for the poor and marginalised. But, in practice, participation may often take the form of enlisting people in various social and community development projects to secure the compliance of local people. In this paper, I offer a critical review of theoretical promises of participation and contrast this with a number of real-world examples. I argue that participation can be used for validating external approach and incorporated in social as well as community development projects to make it more cost-effective. In theory, giving voices to the poor is important but tokenistic inclusion can often be found in practice for cost-effectiveness. However, giving voices and/or cost efficiency arguments are not coherent with the ideas of empowerment while practices of participation often fail to address the issues of power among various actors, such as decision-makers, participation-see...
Research Interests: Sociology, Political Sociology, Anthropology, Social Anthropology, Development Studies, and 15 morePolitical Participation, Social Sciences, Participatory Research, International Studies, International Development, Community Engagement & Participation, Political Anthropology, Community Development, Social and Cultural Anthropology, International Political Economy, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Cultural Anthropology, Sociología, Participación Social, and Community participation and engagement
Broadly speaking, development apparently intends to improve the livelihoods of the poor and marginalised people. However, this paper assesses whether this is always the case. Could development come at a price? If yes, who pays the price?... more
Broadly speaking, development apparently intends to improve the livelihoods of the poor and marginalised people. However, this paper assesses whether this is always the case. Could development come at a price? If yes, who pays the price? This paper investigates this further based on cinematic representations of three non-fiction documentary videos: Drowned Out (2002), Dying for a Bargain (2013), and Black Gold (2006). Interpretive analyses of the storylines of these videos suggest that despite the promises of making a positive change for the better, development, often in practice, might affect the poorest through unfair wage and calls for ‘sacrifices’ for a so-called larger common good.
Research Interests: Business, Sociology, Anthropology, Visual Studies, Visual Anthropology, and 15 moreSocial Anthropology, Development Studies, Social Sciences, International Development, Community Engagement & Participation, Political Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, International Political Economy, Anthropology of Development, Documentary Film, Cultural Anthropology, Multidisciplinary, India, Sociology of Development, and Antropología Social
Research Interests: Human Geography, African Studies, Anthropology, Public Administration, Development Studies, and 12 moreInternational Development, Community Engagement & Participation, Community Development, Global Governance, Accountability, Political Science, International Political Economy, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Global Studies, Nigeria, African Development, and ActionAid
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Introduction Part One: Participation in theory Participation: an iron hand in a velvet glove Poverty reduction: discourse or a commitment to change? Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers: another brick in the wall Part Two: Participation in... more
Introduction Part One: Participation in theory Participation: an iron hand in a velvet glove Poverty reduction: discourse or a commitment to change? Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers: another brick in the wall Part Two: Participation in practice Participation: the evidence Is a comprador class being created? Think local, act local Conclusion.
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ABSTRACT Including abstract, bibl. The World Bank and IMF have proposed the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) framework for all poor countries as a condition of receiving unconditional debt relief under the HIPC Initiative. The... more
ABSTRACT Including abstract, bibl. The World Bank and IMF have proposed the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) framework for all poor countries as a condition of receiving unconditional debt relief under the HIPC Initiative. The PRSPs will also be the key vehicle for the World Bank and IMF and other donors for various assistance packages, including loans. Like its predecessors, the PRSP framework promotes the ideas of 'participation' and 'ownership'. This article argues that ownership of such a grand framework cannot possibly rest with the poor countries or their people if the whole idea is the product of World Bank and IMF think-tanks. It discusses participation in the development of Bangladesh's PRSP and argues that neither participation nor ownership was the target in preparing a national poverty-reduction strategy: they were merely necessary components of a document required for the continuation of debt and lending relationships with the World Bank and IMF.
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Bangladesh frequently suffers from acute riverbank erosions and, as a result, every year a large number of people internally migrate to new places mainly in search of livelihoods. While very few studies focus on the multifaceted nature of... more
Bangladesh frequently suffers from acute riverbank erosions and, as a result, every year a large number of people internally migrate to new places mainly in search of livelihoods. While very few studies focus on the multifaceted nature of vulnerability experienced from riverbank erosions, the present study examines to what extent different drivers of vulnerability affect socioeconomically disadvantaged internal migrants living in riverbank erosion-prone areas in Bangladesh. Empirical evidence from two northwestern riverbank erosion-prone districts in Bangladesh demonstrates that the disadvantaged internal migrants and their household members were exposed to a range of vulnerabilities connected to economic, institutional, infrastructural, environmental, and social drivers. It is contended that evidently there are different types of vulnerability some of which are perceived to be more severe than others in the study areas. This study, therefore, suggests extending some specific support programmes including income generation schemes, access to institutional credit for the landless, improved inexpensive means of transportation, and improved communication. This article also proposes improving rural infrastructure including irrigation facilities, inexpensive transportation means for agricultural inputs or other farming materials, reasonable prices for daily necessities, and improved health care benefits.
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An Italian priest has been wounded by gunmen in Bangladesh, the latest in a wave of attacks on foreigners there. Only weeks before, an Italian citizen working with a development organisation was shot in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone – one of... more
An Italian priest has been wounded by gunmen in Bangladesh, the latest in a wave of attacks on foreigners there. Only weeks before, an Italian citizen working with a development organisation was shot in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone – one of the most heavily guarded places in the country. A few days later, a Japanese citizen was murdered in northern Bangladesh in a similar style.
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A key target of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is “to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere” by 2030. It is thus imperative to investigate how the poor people themselves perceive extreme poverty. In a Bangladesh... more
A key target of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is “to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere” by 2030. It is thus imperative to investigate how the poor people themselves perceive extreme poverty. In a Bangladesh context, contrasting lived experiences of the perceived poor and current dollar-based definition of extreme poverty seems to delineate different pictures. If poor people’s perceptions largely differ from the existing measure, poverty eradication in global development initiatives might become a mere statistical success. This paper argues that revisiting the existing definition in various country contexts might enhance the noble intention of poverty eradication.
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This paper tells the stories based on empirical evidence in Niger delta. It reveals the process and structure of the conflict which started from the rights to selfdetermination and resource control by ‘militant groups’ in that region. We... more
This paper tells the stories based on empirical evidence in Niger delta. It reveals the process and structure of the conflict which started from the rights to selfdetermination and resource control by ‘militant groups’ in that region. We examine the narratives around this aspect in the words of dominant elites and ‘militia activists’, to argue that ‘militia actions’ that appear to challenge the legitimacy and authority of the Nigerian state over control of natural resource (Oil), is embedded in complex web and porous boundary of informal and formal interactions with politicians and ‘military’ leaders. These provided the opportunity for the elites to maintain their control over oil and for some ‘militia leaders’ to bargain and negotiate with the authority often motivated by self-
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1. Introduction 2. An Overview Of Understanding Poverty From Diverse Perspectives 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Looking Poverty Though Multiple Lenses 3. Problems Of Dollarising Poverty 3.1. Introduction 3.2. International Poverty Line And... more
1. Introduction 2. An Overview Of Understanding Poverty From Diverse Perspectives 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Looking Poverty Though Multiple Lenses 3. Problems Of Dollarising Poverty 3.1. Introduction 3.2. International Poverty Line And Measuring Global Poverty 3.3. Dollarisation Of Poverty 4. Poverty Reduction As A Development Agenda - Looking Beyond 2015 4.1. Introduction 4.2. Donorising Poverty Reduction Through Sanitising Mdgs 4.3. Hoorah! Global Poverty Is Halved, But What Does It Actually Mean? 4.4. What ' 's Next For Poverty Reduction After 2015? 5. Conclusion
Research Interests: Sociology, Anthropology, Social Policy, Development Studies, Social Sciences, and 12 moreInternational Development, Poverty, Political Science, Millenium Development Goals, Globalisation and Development, Anthropology of Development, The Global Political Economy, Multidimensional Poverty, Poverty Studies, Mdgs Goals, Sustainable Development Goals, and Post-2015 Development Agenda
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Research Interests: Sociology, Economic Sociology, African Studies, Latin American Studies, Anthropology, and 15 moreInternational Relations, Social Anthropology, Development Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, Social Sciences, International Studies, Sociology of Knowledge, Social and Cultural Anthropology, South Asian Studies, International Political Economy, Urban Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, Global South, Civil Society, and Sociología
Displacement, Dignity, and Global Development (Panel 46 of Development Studies Association Annual Conference 2020). Long abstract: Put simply, the recent statistics on global displacement are shocking. According to the Office of the... more
Displacement, Dignity, and Global Development (Panel 46 of Development Studies Association Annual Conference 2020).
Long abstract:
Put simply, the recent statistics on global displacement are shocking. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 2019 report, nearly 70.8 million people were displaced at the end of 2018. The number of globally displaced people has been doubled in the last 20 years from its previous peak at 3.7 per 1000 people in 1992 to 9.3 per 1000 people in 2018 resulting in an alarming trend of around 37000 people are becoming newly displaced every day. Displaced people (as refugees; asylum seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs)) are fleeing war, persecution, violent conflicts, and human rights violations and thereby represent one of the major global political and development challenges of the current time. While it is overwhelmingly the developing countries that are most affected, displacement often takes away the dignity of the displaced people who are already likely to have experienced torture, trauma, and worst forms of violence and crime. There is a paucity of literature suggesting whether humanitarian interventions uphold/further or detract the dignity of vulnerable displaced communities (ODI, 2019). In this context, this panel aims to explore what roles state/political leadership, market, and civil society can play in finding dignified resolutions for displaced people and communities? What roles are there for the development researchers, academics, and policymakers - because 'no one becomes a refugee by choice; but the rest of us can have a choice about how we help' (UNHCR, 2019).
Accepted papers:
- 'Revisiting' dignity in the contexts of displacement - evidence from Rohingyas in Bangladesh and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan
- Assisting IDPs in Adama, Ethiopia: A whole-of-society approach
- Ensuring "dignified resolution" for the refugees in Ghana: The role of academia
Full recorded session can be found on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_qWS6Sx8GE&feature=youtu.be
Long abstract:
Put simply, the recent statistics on global displacement are shocking. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 2019 report, nearly 70.8 million people were displaced at the end of 2018. The number of globally displaced people has been doubled in the last 20 years from its previous peak at 3.7 per 1000 people in 1992 to 9.3 per 1000 people in 2018 resulting in an alarming trend of around 37000 people are becoming newly displaced every day. Displaced people (as refugees; asylum seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs)) are fleeing war, persecution, violent conflicts, and human rights violations and thereby represent one of the major global political and development challenges of the current time. While it is overwhelmingly the developing countries that are most affected, displacement often takes away the dignity of the displaced people who are already likely to have experienced torture, trauma, and worst forms of violence and crime. There is a paucity of literature suggesting whether humanitarian interventions uphold/further or detract the dignity of vulnerable displaced communities (ODI, 2019). In this context, this panel aims to explore what roles state/political leadership, market, and civil society can play in finding dignified resolutions for displaced people and communities? What roles are there for the development researchers, academics, and policymakers - because 'no one becomes a refugee by choice; but the rest of us can have a choice about how we help' (UNHCR, 2019).
Accepted papers:
- 'Revisiting' dignity in the contexts of displacement - evidence from Rohingyas in Bangladesh and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan
- Assisting IDPs in Adama, Ethiopia: A whole-of-society approach
- Ensuring "dignified resolution" for the refugees in Ghana: The role of academia
Full recorded session can be found on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_qWS6Sx8GE&feature=youtu.be
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I was invited to join a panel discussion at the British House of Lords (28 October 2014) titled a ‘Discussion about democratic collapse as a result of unfair one sided national elections in Bangladesh’. This piece summarises the main... more
I was invited to join a panel discussion at the British House of Lords (28 October 2014) titled a ‘Discussion about democratic collapse as a result of unfair one sided national elections in Bangladesh’. This piece summarises the main points I raised there.
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This is a second proof of the book which has been published from Policy Press UK (http://www.policypress.co.uk/display.asp?k=9781447305699) About This Book This book analyses government relationships with international financial... more
This is a second proof of the book which has been published from Policy Press UK (http://www.policypress.co.uk/display.asp?k=9781447305699)
About This Book This book analyses government relationships with international financial institutions by evaluating the role of citizen participation when national poverty reduction policies are formulated in low-income countries. Based on in-depth research from Bangladesh, the concept of participation is investigated from the contrasting perspectives of theory and practice. The first part of the book explores the rhetoric of participation in development policies, while the second part presents empirical evidence of participation in the formulation of Bangladesh’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper where, at local level, development brokers play an important role. It argues that participatory policies are not enough, that an overhaul is needed in the approach to poverty reduction which will require strong political commitment. This topical book will make essential reading for academics, students and researchers in international development studies and poverty-related fields. - See more at: http://www.policypress.co.uk/display.asp?k=9781447305699#sthash.lCce6wIN.dpuf
About This Book This book analyses government relationships with international financial institutions by evaluating the role of citizen participation when national poverty reduction policies are formulated in low-income countries. Based on in-depth research from Bangladesh, the concept of participation is investigated from the contrasting perspectives of theory and practice. The first part of the book explores the rhetoric of participation in development policies, while the second part presents empirical evidence of participation in the formulation of Bangladesh’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper where, at local level, development brokers play an important role. It argues that participatory policies are not enough, that an overhaul is needed in the approach to poverty reduction which will require strong political commitment. This topical book will make essential reading for academics, students and researchers in international development studies and poverty-related fields. - See more at: http://www.policypress.co.uk/display.asp?k=9781447305699#sthash.lCce6wIN.dpuf
