Abstract of Volume 1, No.1

Khurshed Alam- Towards a Theory of Muslim Social Stratification

Bangladesh is predominantly a rural society where an overwhelming majority of its habitants are Muslim by religion. In order to understand the rural society of Bangladesh, one therefore, needs to analyze the Muslim social stratification both theoretically and empirically. Taking into account the empirical evidences, in this paper, an attempt has been made to develop a theory of Muslim social stratification with particular reference to Bangladesh.
Communication: khurshed@bkdc.net

Khondoker Mokaddem Hossain- The Social and Cultural Significance of Homestead Forests

The paper briefly explores the social and cultural use and significance of homestead forests in rural Bangladesh. It explores the social anthropological and sociological significance of ritual, beliefs, customs, festivals and ceremonial activities related to tree and trees products from historical and empirical points of view. On the whole, the paper has analyzed the rituals, beliefs, myths, customs and many other aspects of life relating to trees, plants, herbs and their products in the culture of both Bengali Hindus and Muslims. These forest-centered rituals, customs, ceremonies and activities are not just a social nature but have an important element of personal involvement. The forests are not just a ceremonial asset; they are very much a part of society's religious, cultural and communal heritage. It is doubtful whether larger state-controlled or private forests could perform these roles as effectively as the homestead forests.
Communication: mnasreen@bdcom.com

Omar Faruque- Urbanization in Bangladesh: A Socio-historical Analysis
This paper analyzes the salient features of urbanization in the Third world as manifested under the global capitalist system. Following a world system perspective this paper argues that the nature of urbanization in Bangladesh is very much consistent with such features of Third World urbanization.
Communication: omarsoc@yahoo.com

Mohammad Mainul Islam- GrassrootsViews on Health Practices, Changes in Health
Behaviour and Policy Means for Health Communication in Bangladesh

Understanding of individual and society in which we live is the central concern for social sciences. Nowadays, it has become common practices in the field of social and behavioural sciences to give more importance to culture for understanding health behaviour. But culture has to be given strong preference for health care promotion and disease prevention programs in such a manner that it legitimates public health praxis. It is positive that the practice of health care is now considered as social action. Therefore, the understanding of health professionals, clients and their practices is extremely important. In this respect, this article examines people's health practices and assesses the changes that have taken place in health behaviour of the target people of Bangladesh as the consequences of improved communication. Findings show that the positive and noticeable changes have taken place due to improved communication. This paper also provides an understanding of the social process involved in the delivery of health care and offers various methods of viewing and explaining health care and health problems. In brief, this article is designed to understand people's culture, social structure, health beliefs and practices and how this diversity can be addressed in terms of health communication in Bangladesh.
Communication: mislam@dpsdu.org

Mozammel Haque Neogi- The Life Style of MSM in Bangladesh: A Study in Two Suburb Areas of Dhaka City

Though MSM (Male having Sex with Male) is now a common feature in sex trade in Bangladesh, general people cannot believe the fact. Some organizations have started working especially for raising awareness among the MSM community about the danger of HIV/AIDS and due to their program operation the MSM came up to the notice of many people. It is a pity to note that many policy makers of Bangladesh are not interested to listen to the life style of MSM, rather they ignore them, which is a violation of rights. This article describes the culture and life style of MSM in Bangladesh.
Communication: mhneogi@bangla.net

Selina Ahmed, K. M. Rezaul Karim, Amirul Alam Khan - Impact of the Bangabandhu Bridge on Environment: A Study in a Selected Area- Impact of the Bangabandhu Bridge on Environment:
A Study in a Selected Area

The present paper attempts to highlight some issues regarding impact of the Bangabandhu Bridge on environment in the resettlement sites and in the river Jamuna itself. It is devoted to assessing environmental impact related to forestry, fishery, livestock, cropping pattern, air and noise pollution, and level of water. The study clearly reveals that severe loss of multiple types of homestead tress caused loss of some regular income, fall in fish production, multi-crop land turned into mono-crop land causing a threat to the ecosystem, serious affect to livestock as the re-settler were bound to sell their cattle and poultry at a throwaway price during resettlement, absence of birds flocks in the chars of river Jamuna, abrupt increase in air and sound pollution in that area, and certain effects on the surface and ground water resources in the surrounding areas. The study, therefore, strongly suggest to pursue a balanced development effort to minimize the human sufferings that all infrastructure development activities should have the aims to achieve to.
Communication: akalpona@yahoo.com

Abstract of Volume 1, No. 2

S. M. Shamsul Alam - Conscious Spontaneity: The Anti-Authoritarian Revolt of 1968

The article elaborated on the notion that the Bengali resistance and Pakistani domination during the anti-authoritarian revolt of 1968 in East Bengal were defining rather than mutually exclusive. Accordingly, it suggests that analytical emphasis should be focused on the spontaneous context of resistance, rather than stopping short at viewing the confrontation and resistance exclusively as mass social movements, which challenged power and authority in an organized fashion. Another conceptual dimension of the paper flows from the idea that Pakistani power and Bengali resistance were mutually defining, that is to say that power and resistance are entangled and mutually transforming. Here, various early attempt at counter-hegemony by Bengali are discussed and the notion of the spontaneous origins of the revolt are emphasized with an eye to their impact and seminal role in what later developed into the independence movement in 1971.
Communication: alam@sou.edu

Tapan R. Mohanty -The Mercenaries of Mass Murder: An Inquiry into a Corporate Crime

The recent developments in the study of criminology has certainly broadened its horizon and has a brought a whip of fresh air in the conceptualization of crime and criminalization of conduct. The doctrine of absolute liability in torts law and reflections of critical criminology have been responsible in redefining the roles and corporations as indicators of development and extensions of prosperity in capitalist society. However, the disaster in Bhopal and catastrophe of Chernobyl in consonance with a host of similar events of industrial holocaust brought an abrupt end to forward march of industrial capitalism. In fact, in the context of India, it can be said that the enactment of Environment protection. Act of 1986 and Public Liability Insurance Act are the response to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. However, as often happens with the victims of mass disaster in this part of the world, the perpetrators of the largest industrial genocide went scot-free with minor compensation while the victims who managed survive are still fighting for justice. The story of Bhopal has become the powerful symbols of melee between the civil society, the leviathan state and the goliath multinational corporations, a momentous milieu of grassroots socio-environmental movement. In this article an effort has been made to map the multitude of dimensions associated with this macabre event. It is important to note that even twenty years after the event the trauma and tremors, the shocks and the solitude, the criminality of the act and the callousness of the authorities continue to haunt the victims. With the passage of time, the wounds have shown the signs of recovery but evidence of the conspiracy are slowly and surely fading forcing us to take recourse in a different methodology to recreate the history and refurbish the evidence. A small sample was taken for empirical investigation, primary and secondary data were scanned and focused interviews were conducted with important and professional eyewitnesses in order to arrive at a valid conclusion. It would be pleasing to share the results of the study so that critical comments can invited and a sense of awareness can be generated among the discerning readers about the issue and its implication in these critical times.
Communication: tapanmohanty@gmail.com

Nabanipa Bhattacharjee-Survival beyond Borders: Bangladesh Immigrants and the Hindu Right-Wing Politics in India
This paper is an attempt towards exploration of the relationship between certain social processes and the rise and growth of Right-Wing ideologies in South Asian societies. It examines immigration as a social process and its location within the Hindu Right-Wing discourse in India. This may be best understood in the context of the 'clandestine'/'illegal' immigration from Bangladesh to India and its linkage with the ideology of Hindutva. Based on preliminary research (conducted using interviews and other observational techniques in Vasant Kunj area i.e. certain JJ clusters of South Delhi), the paper (divided into three broad sections) addresses first, immigration as one of the elements of 'social transformation' in India, second, the growth of Hindu political-cultural ideology in the context of such 'transformation' and third, the case of 'illegal' immigration from Bangladesh and its role in the growth of Hindu-Right wing politics in Delhi, particularly in the 1990s. Therefore, the central concern is to evolve an understanding of the politics of lebensraum or living space and its implications for the articulation of Hindu Right-Wing political ideology, principles of governance and construction of national identity and models of social integration and development in India.
Communication: bula_jnu@yahoo.co.in

Shah Ehsan Habib- Sexual Behaviour and HIV Knowledge among Long-Distance Truck Drivers and Rickshaw Pullers in Northern Bangladesh

This paper is an attempt to identify the causes of psychotropic drug dependence among the mentally retarded adults in Bangladesh. Detailed studies of 87 cases were done. Case study, observation and discussion were adopted in conducting this study to collect primary data. The paper explores the fact that convulsion, severe aggression, severe depression, neural and motor problems, hyperactivity, compulsive behaviour and self-injurious behaviour were the main causes of psychotropic drug dependence. Salivation, frequent fainting, severe sleep disturbance, physical pain, nightmare, lack of concentration, compulsive behaviour, etc, were the associated causes of psychotropic drug dependence. The researcher recommends some measures to protect the mentally retarded persons from psychotropic drug dependence.
Communication: se_habib@hotmail.com

Md. Anisuzzaman - Causes of Psychotropic Drug Dependence among the Mentally Retarded Adults in Bangladesh
The precise manner in which HIV-related risk behaviour occurs has not been adequately researched among truckers and rickshaw pullers in Bangladesh. This study aims to examine sexual risk behaviour and HIV knowledge among these groups recruited from Thakurgaon. The sample was chosen conveniently, comprising 79 truckers and 103 rickshaw pullers. The data show that history of sex with a female commercial sex worker (CSW) was frequent - an average of 3 sex acts was performed in the week preceding the interview. Compared to rickshaw pullers, truckers were more likely to have sex with a CSW. The alarming reality is that the majority of truckers (82.4 percent) did not use condoms in the last commercial sex encounters. A much larger proportion of truckers (86.1 percent) as well as rickshaw pullers (64.1 percent) have heard about AIDS, but a considerable proportion of them are not aware of any mode of transmission of HIV (25.0 percent vs. 39.4 percent). Even though these respondents perceive the threat of HIV infection, few feel that they are personally vulnerable. The potential spread of HIV/AIDS is more threatening in view of the mobility of these groups, which in turn may spread the STI/HIV infection among their wives. Interventions with these high-risk groups are needed due to the low level of knowledge about the mode of HIV transmission, and the level of risky sexual behaviour.
Communication: zaman96p@yahoo.com

Subscription of journal

Institutional subscription: Per issue BDT. 250. 00 (Taka two hundred fifty) and annual BDT Tk. 500 (Five hundred) only. Per issue US $ 30 (thirty) only and annual US $ 60 (sixty) only.

Individual subscription: Per issue BDT. 200.00 (Taka two hundred) and annual BDT Tk. 400 (four hundred) only. Per issue US $ 20 (twenty) and annual US $ 40 (forty) only.

Exchange with other research institute/ university
The journal is also being exchanged with other research institutes and universities where the recipient organization has similar type of journal/ publications. The BISR also has exchange program of research reports with same type of organizations.

Guidelines for contributors (please click here)

Editorial Board