International Relations and Security Studies

Denial of basic human rights of any individual is tantamount to denying him the right to live in a civilized world. It suppresses the prospect of creativity of individuals and thus his ability to contribute in nation-building activities. The various rights, such as the right to free political thought gives a person opportunity to think and make appropriate choices towards building of institutions of public policy, which are then able to function fairly and independently.

How violence and terrorism impact on societies has largely been ignored in mainstream security studies. However, in the post-cold war order, endemic violence has become part of life of people across the world, more so in South  Asia. Within the current debates in security studies and efforts to make security conceptions more people-centred, the issue of violence finds some primacy.

Tagore was indeed a biswa-kabi, or poet of the world. In the first half of the twentieth century, few had travelled as much as him, visiting more than thirty countries on five continents Shying away from being a ‘patriot’ and ‘seeking compatriots around the world,’ Rabindranath laid faith in humans, no matter of what nation, race or caste, in overcoming limitations and perils of all kinds. It is this faith that made him cross boundaries, both intellectual and territorial.

Bangladesh is currently celebrating the silver jubilee of its birth as a nation-state. It is time for self- reflection. To undertake the daunting task of self-examination, the book brings together analytical dimensions and ideas of some eighteen distinguished authors of Bangladesh who are well-respected in their own fields. The issues they address cut across both domestic politics and external relations.