Political Economy of Madrassa Education in Bangladesh: Genesis, Growth and Impact , by Abu Barkat, Rowshan Ara, M. Taheruddin, Farid M. Zahid and Md. Badiuzzaman

Volume:37
Issue:4
Book Review

Madrassas in Bangladesh have seen a rapid increase in their number in recent years. As per 2008 estimates, 9,827,742 students were enrolled in 54,130 Madrassas in the country. That meant that any third student in Bangladesh studied at a Madrassa. It is projected that by 2050 the number of Madrassas will increase to 155,108. What is alarming is not so much the number of Madrassa students as the fact that only 25 per cent of Madrassa students manage to get employed. The rest, i.e., 75 per cent remain unemployed.