Entrepreneurs and Economic Development

Salim Rashid and Munir Qudus have authored the pioneering study 'Entrepreneurs and Economic Development', which offers the first comprehensive examination of Bangladesh's ready-made garment export industry. The sector's journey began modestly in the late 1970s, driven largely by local entrepreneurial initiative, and later benefited from foreign expertise in marketing, management, and production. Over two decades, despite periodic disruptions, this industry expanded into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, currently providing employment to over a million women and significantly enhancing their living standards and economic mobility.

The book centers on the entrepreneurs themselves, presenting a detailed profile based on a sample of forty randomly selected factory owners. Employing a political economy perspective, the authors analyze the various forces shaping both domestic and international clothing markets. They trace the historical evolution of the apparel sector and provide a broad overview of the industry's development. The work concludes by examining the future challenges facing the industry and policymakers, particularly as the trade protections established under the GATT framework came to an end in 2005. This analysis makes the book an essential resource for understanding the dynamics of Bangladesh's most important export sector.