25-27 August, 1994
Erasmus University/CASA
Rotterdam, Amsterdam

THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OF BANGLADESH STUDIES (ENBS): AN UNIQUE INITIATIVE
TAKES SHAPE 

By I. de Groot

The European Network of Bangladesh Studies was established as a framework
to improve contacts between European researchers who work on Bangladesh and
our bangladeshi colleagues. The network connects European researchers with
Bangladesh is currently based in Europe and with colleagues in Bangladesh.
The network serves as a focal point of communication with other research
and development organizations in Europe and bangladesh. It aims to provide
a stimulus to the dialogue between social scientists, government officials,
consultants, and NGOs. This dialogue is extremely important in view of the
many links between Europe and Bangladesh, especially in the field of
development co-operation.

DEVELOPMENT
Membership is open to researchers from different disciplines as well as
persons who are involved in applied work on Bangladesh. In view of the work
being done on Bangladesh, many network members share an interest in
`development'. The network takes the position that is fundamental to any
succesfull intervention in the `development' of Bangladesh to realize the
need to improve our understanding of Bangladesh society, including those
aspects which by narrower definitions may seen estoric. Bangladesh Studies
remain poorly developed in Europe; there is a particular need to strengthen
proffesional development-related research on Bangladesh. Bangladesh
residents do not need to subscribe to the Network. They receive the
Networks output free of charge but may register as members if they so wish.
The European Network of Bangladesh Studies is the only network of its kind
outside Bangladesh.

DIRECTORY AND NEWSLETTER
The network mantains a Directory of those with a shared interest in
Bangladesh (research scholars, students, development workers, consultants,
and so on). Twice yearly it published a Newsletter with information about
Network members' proposed visits from and to Bangladesh, news about
seminars and meetings, abstracts of recently defended Ph.D theses,
references to recent articles on Bangladesh, and so on. With support from
the Commision of the European Communities, the Network has started a series
of research/ discussion papers written by Bangladesh scholars based or
studying in Europe. This enables Bangladeshi scholars to get their views
better known. The network also organizes international workshops in
different European countries to which Bangladeshi colleagues are invited.
In 1988 and 1990, international workshops were organized at the University
of Bath (U.K.). In 1992, the Centre for Development Studies hosted the
workshop at Hornb‘k (Denmark). For 1994, a workshop is planned in The
Netherlands, under the joints auspices of the Erasmus University Rotterdam
and the Centre for Asian Studies (CASA) in Amsterdam. Each workshop has its
own format and themes.

The 1994 workshop: Facing the 21st Century
It will adress three topical themes:

SOCIAL MOBILIZATION is a hot item in contemporary Bangladesh. After e    
return to a multy-party democratic system in 1990-91, the country was faced
with problems of good governance and the re-establishment of democratic
organizations and procedures. Mobilization of the poor by NGOs has been
proposed as an important instrument in developing a democratic Bangladesh.
The gender issue is of crucial significance, and the workshop will also
focus on the experiences and initiatives of Bangladeshi women in their
quest for empowerment. Finally, religion has recently presented itself as a
formidable mobilization force in Bangladesh. Which trends in social
mobilization have recently occured? Which trends are to be expected? How
can we analyse and conceptualize social and political change in the
country?

CULTURAL CHANGE has taken on a new significance with the arrival in
Bangladesh of the new electronic media (e.g. satellite television). What
does this mean for the  national cultural heritage, the national identity,
and the cultural development? How does this changes mesh with the cultural
policies of the state and of voluntary organizations? What are the
prospects for the near future?

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT is another topic which is much discussed in
Bangladesh. At the issue is the impact of development programmes on the
environment (e.g. with regard to huge efforts like the Flood Action Plan,
but also to many small projects). But sustainable development embraces
other issues as well: the impact of development programmes on human rights,
for example, and to what extent Bangladesh society can evolve alternatives
to aid dependency. Here the role of women and women's organizations is of
special interest; are they most effective when addressing general issues of
development, or specific themes, e.g. health, family planning, family law,
female employment? How could women and their organizations contribute to a
lessening of aid dependency in Bangladesh in the 21st century? These last
themes involve the structural transfer of skills, knowledge, technology,
and capital.
On each of these papers are invited; the provisional programme envisages
sessions devoted to each of them.