This book challenges the conventional wisdom of narrowly - defined development which concentrates primarily and decisively on the ‘invisible hand’ of economic development per se – a market-based money-metric approach. this book also shows the limitations of the relatively broadly views on human development due to its ‘non-class’ considerations. To the contrary, this book proposes a framework for understanding true development- development as rights-both Constitutional and justiciable, as inclusion of the excluded (not adverse inclusion), and as a freedom and liberty mediated process. This book not only forwards the argument that sustained development is a conscientization mediated process, but also attempts to empirically measure “development as conscientization”. Conscientization has been seen as a process by which the learner advances towards critical consciousness which is necessary for informed actions-the key goal of development education. The newness of both the arguments and measurements lies in the fact that the whole exercise has been conducted in a participatory way with the poor and marginalized people implying a deviation from the conventional researchers-defined approach.

This book, based on the experience of an NGO-Nijera kori’s conscientization work, documents an attempt to provide empirical evidences of impact of conscientization. The key conclusions reached are Conscientization-as route to development-works; Conscientization promotes collective action of the poor and marginalized; Conscientization accelerates spill-over effects; Conscientization has potential multiplier effects; Conscientization effects add more value to economic inputs in development; well-being is Conscientization mediated process, vice versa is not; and Conscientization-as a route to freedom of the poor and marginalized in a class society-works.

Author Description Abul Barkat Ph. D. is currently professor of Economics, University of Dhaka. Dr. Barkat is a reputed researcher in the field of political economy of human development with special concentration on poverty and humane development, minority people’s right to development, land-poverty-development nexus, criminalization of economy and politics, gender divide in development, population and health, and economics of fundamentalism. Dr. Barkat has in his credit over two hundred and fifty research studies and publications. He is the principle author of a number of pioneering books which include charland in Bangladesh: political Economy of Ignored Resource, political Economy of khas Land in Bangladesh, political Economy of Land Litigation in Bangladesh: A case of Colossal National wastage, An Inquiry into Causes and consequences of Deprivation of Hindu Minorities in Bangladesh through the vested property Act: Framework for a Realistic Solution, Deprivation of Hindu Minority in Bangladesh: Living with Vested property, and political Economy of Vested property Act in Rural Bangladesh. Dr. Barkat strongly regards human development as human right and freedom mediated process. He participates actively in the civil society activities. Dr. Barkat is the current elected General Secretary (2007-2009) of Bangladesh Economic Association.
Sadeka Halim Ph.D. is currently professor of Sociology,University of Dhaka. Dr.Halim is a reputed researcher on gender and development, especially of the indigenous peoples. Her research interest covers wide range of issues covering, forestry and gender, trafficking of women and children, women in education, women and rural electification, and indigenous peoples’ rights. Dr. Halim has over fifty publications in her credit. She is also a reputed women rights’ activist in Bangladesh.
is the Director (Research), Human Development Resrarch Centre. He is co-author of three pioneering books, An Inquiry into Causes and Consequences of Deprivation of Hindu Minorities in Bangladesh through the Vested property Act: Framework for a Realistic Solution, Deprivation of Hindu Minority in Bangladesh: Living with Vested property, and political Economy of Vested property Act in Rural Bangladesh. He is life-member of Bangladesh Economic Association.
Asmar Osman, MSS is Resrarch Associate in Human Development Resrarch Centre. Development Economics is his key area of interest. Asmar’s research based articles have been published by Global Forum for Health research, Switzerland and Bangladesh Economic Association. He has a number of creative books in his credit. Asmar is the current elected Assistant General Secretary (2007-2009) of Bangladesh Economic Association.
Md. Badiuzzaman, MSS is Resrarch Associate in Human Development Resrarch Centre. His resrarch works on seasonal dimension of rural poverty and health care financing has been published by Resrarch Initiatives, Bangladesh and Bangladesh Journal of political Economy. Mr. Badiuzzaman is life member of Bangladesh Economic Association.