Compared with its South Asian country neighbours Bangladesh receives far less international attention politically than it should. Riaz's authoritative, analytically incisive and above all eadable account of Bangladesh's political history makes a substantial and scholarly contribution to addressing the gap. This will be essential reading for researchers, teachers, students, journalists and - dare I say it - politicians with an ... Read moreinterest in Bangladesh and South Asia more widely. David Lewis, Professor of Social Policy and Development, LSE; An excellent book, written by one of the most knowledgeable analysts of Bangladesh's contemporary history and politics. Analytically rigorous, theoretically sound and empirically rich, it contributes tremendously to our understanding of the political processes, institutions and actors in this young nation. It is a must-read for students of South Asian politics and comparative politics who are interested to learn about divergent trajectories of democracy, national identity-formation and the political role in this region of the world. Aurel Croissant, Professor of Political Science at the Institute of Political Science, Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg Show Less