ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes Bangladesh's extraordinary experiment with privatization of the industrial sector of its "modern" economy and, to a lesser extent, of commercial, financial, and agri-business institutions and activities as well. It presents a brief overview of some distinctive aspects of privatization, which, while a relatively new phenomenon on the development scene, has attracted worldwide attention and occasioned heated debate. This overview is not intended to be an in-depth theoretical or technical discourse on privatization, but rather a brief exposition of a few important, practical issues that one should bear in mind when approaching the study of any country's privatization situation. Privatization is often more influenced by political issues than by strictly economic considerations. Workers and unions fight privatization out of fear that increased efficiency will be achieved by laying off workers. The proper method of privatization will vary from case to case and country to country.
