ABSTRACT
The chapter argues that conceptual underpinnings and operational challenges of inclusive development are complex and multidimensional in Bangladesh. This relates to countering exclusiveness such that the growth process does not lead to a concentration of wealth and/or income in certain sectors and to certain groups and fails to increase participation and accountability of all and reduce the disparities in knowledge, capacity and earnings including access to opportunities. In the increasingly globalising world, the inherent tendency of development paradigm has been to prioritise the economic dimension while the distributional issues and caring for the environment play a somewhat subdued role. For Bangladesh, a focus on local resource management is important for inclusive development since the poor and marginalised are directly dependent on local resources for livelihoods. As an environmentally-vulnerable country, the inclusive development agenda for Bangladesh will have to grapple with these challenges to transform the agenda into a comprehensive, sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic transformation process for the Bangladesh society.
