Abbreviations xi Preface xiii

CHAPTER 1 Arguments for a New Research Approach 1 1.1 Research has to be Made Meaningful 1 1.2 Control Over Our Own Research Agenda 5 Rehman Sobhan 1.3 Some Hints on Building Research Capacity in the South 6 M.S.D. Bagachwa 1.4 Difficulties in Building Research Capacity in the South . 9 Ivan Wolffers 1.5 Comments on 'Some Hints on Building Research Capacity in the South' 12 Silvia Escobar de Pabon

CHAPTER 2 Programme for Research on Poverty Alleviation: An Overview 13 Hossain Zillur Rahman, Syed M. Hashemi and Khondoker Shakhawat Ali 2.1 Introductory Overview 13 2.2 Problems and Remedies 15 2.3 Lessons Learnt 16 2.4 Considerations for Future Initiatives 17

CHAPTER 3 Selected Articles 21 3.1 Economy and Society 21 TOWARDS A POVERTY-FREE WORLD 21 Muhammad Yunus THE CHALLENGE OF POVERTY ALLEVIATION: ALL ROUTES MATTER 22 Hossain Zillur Rahman POLITICS OF POVERTY ALLEVIATION 24 Binayak Sen viit RESEARCHING POVERTY FROM THE BOTTOM UP

CHAPTER 4 Thematic Selections from PRPA Newsletters 27 4.1 Economy and Society 27 THEATRE AND DEVELOPMENT 27 Sajedul Awal PARTICIPATORY RURAL APPRAISAL (PRA) 28 Sabina Faiz Rashid CHILD LABOUR IN : A CHALLENGE THAT DESERVES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION 29 Wahidur Rahman 4.2 Human Rights and Legal issues 31 FIRE HAZARDS IN GARMENT FACTORIES 31 Bitalie T. Islam JUDICIAL ACTIVISM, CIVIL SOCIETY AND HUMAN RIGHTS INTERVIEW WITH DR. KAMAL HOSSAIN 32 PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION IN BANGLADESH: RECENT TRENDS 37 Sara Hossain and Mirza Hassan A CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION AGAINST WORKERS 40 Mahtab Haider DUSHSHOMOY: REMEMBERING THE SHIMA TRAGEDY 42 Lavina Ambreen Ahmed QUEST FOR LOCAL-LEVEL JUSTICE: TRANSFORMING SHAUSH IN RURAL BANGLADESH 45 4.3 Health and Nutrition 48 HEALTH AND POVERTY IN BANGLADESH 48 Khairul Islam and Shaireen S Islam 4.4 Environmental Issues 49 FOREIGN AIDED DISASTER: THE CASE OF BEEL DAKATIA 49 Atiur Rahman ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN AND BIODIVERSITY SURVEY 50 Amala Reddy

4.5 Technology Applications 53 LOW-COST BIO-DIGESTERS 53 Safi R Khan PATENTING GENETIC MATERIAL: THEFT OR RIGHT? 55 Rashida Ahmed VEGETABLE DYES IN BANGLADESH 57 Sarwar Morshed Khan WIND POWER IN BANGLADESH 59 Miftahur Rahman and Safi Rahman Khan APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY FOR PARBOILING OF RICE 61 A K M Shahjahan CONTENTS ix

4.6 Gender Relations 64 A REVIEW OF WOMEN-FOCUSED NGO PROGRAMMES 64 Meghna Guhathakurta WOMEN ENTER THE UNION COUNCILS 66 Hamida Hossain NAGORIK UDDYOG: GIVING WOMEN A POLITICAL VOICE 68 Lisa Young Larance SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST DOMESTIC WORKERS 69 Nasreen Huq and Abul Kalam Azad 4.7 Ethnic Dimension of Poverty 70 HANDLOOM-BASED INDUSTRY WITHIN THE GARO COMMUNITY: A CASE STUDY 70 Ratan Sarkar, A K M Masud AH and A K M Mustaque AH 4.8 Governance and Local Government 73 POPULATION PARTICIPATION OF THE POOR IN BANGLADESH ELECTIONS 73 Syed M Hashemi DEMOCRATISING LOCAL GOVERNMENT: CURRENT REFORMS AND FUTURE AGENDA 74 Mirza M Hassan STRENGTHENING LOCAL DEMOCRACY 75 . Kamal Siddiqui ACCOUNTABLE ADMINISTRATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRACY 77 Hossain Zillur Rahman and Ahmed Kamal INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR MUZAFFER AHMED ON LOCAL GOVERNANCE ISSUES 80 ELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND THE BUREAUCRACY IN BANGLADESH: ASPECTS OF A MEANINGFUL INTERFACE 87 Hossain Zillur Rahman 4.9 Mobilisation and Struggles of the Poor 89 LIFE IN LATA'R CHAR: A LIVING HELL FOR THE POOR 89 Abdul Hossain and Mesbah Kamal CONFLICTS AND VIOLENCE DUE TO SHRIMP CULTURE IN BANGLADESH 92 Tofazzal Hossain Monju

CHAPTER 5 Response to a National Emergency: The Flood of 1998 95 5.1 We can Avert a Catastrophe If We Fight Unitedly 95 Muhammad Yunus 5.2 Relief and Rehabilitation Activities: Government 100 Imtiaz Ahmed 5.3 Donor Assistance in Flood Rehabilitation 101 Liana Kaiser Mahmud 5.4 Flood 1998: The Response 103 Tanweena Chowdhury 5.5 Post-Flood Period: Need for Steadfast Vigilance 104 Syed M Hashemi and Imtiaz Ahmed x RESEARCHING POVERTY FROM THE BOTTOM UP

5.6 Flood 98: Combating the Health Problem 108 Khairul Islam , . 5.7 Impact of Flood on Women 109 Tahera Jabeen •• 5.8 Floods and the Impending Winter 110 Zebun Nasreen Ahmed

5.9 Post Flood Rehabilitation: Micro Credit Requirements 111 Salehuddin Ahmed 5.10 Early Warning on the Flood Aftermath: A Rapid Survey of 113 Hossain Zillur Rahman and PPRC Team

5.11 Popular Participation in Flood Relief Activities 116 Zafrullah Chowdhury 5.12 Flood '98: Nagorik Shakti 116 Hossain Zillur Rahman et al. 5.13 Apadkalin School: The School During Calamity 117 Ahmed Kamal 5.14 Flood Web Site 119 PRPA Team

CHAPTER 6 Reflections 121 6.1 A Completion Rate of 85% of Grants Made 121 H.I. Latifee 6.2 What We have to Intend to be is the Producer Not Only the Receiver of this Knowledge Capital 122 Hossain Zillur Rahman 6.3 Developing a Strong Based Local Knowledge is Important 125 Wahiduddin Mahmud

6.4 The Young Researchers: They have Theoretical Shortcomings and Weakness .. 125 Khaled Shams 6.5 The Question is Why We Need to Do Research 127 Muhammad Yunus

Annexes 129 Annex 1 PRPA Steering Committee Annex 2 PRPA Executive Committee Annex 3 Secretariat Staff, 1994-2002 Annex 4 List of Publications and Other Research Outputs Annex 5 Selected Research Abstracts Funded by PRPA Index 173