Presented by Abul Kalam Azad Senior Lecturer, GED Northern University Bangladesh Lecture- 1&2: An Introduction to Socio- economic Study of Bangladesh Objectives 1.To Evaluate GED # 2208 as a Scientific Discipline 2.To Discuss the Significance of GED # Define & Characterize Society 4. To Define Socio-economy 5. To detect BD type of Society

Introduction Since time immemorial, many thinkers endeavored to understand the reality of the universe. Some of them were found to be concerned with natural laws and some others with social phenomena. The objective of both brands of the thinkers was to detect the laws of everything in the universe and to systematize the knowledge. This systematic knowledge is called science. Accordingly, there are two branches of science: natural and social. At the present discourse, my objective is to demonstrate the position of socio-economic study of Bangladesh within scientific disciplines.

Traits In Terms of Natural Science Social science Generalization (Independent of time and space) Generalizable e.g. H 2 O= water Not Generalizable in Macro level but in micro level Subject Matter Nature (Homogeneo us) Human values, culture, language, attitudes, percep- tions, Patterns of Behavior, action & interaction MethodExperimentat ion in Laboratory Observation, questionnaire, case study etc.’

Significance of Socio-economic Study of Bangladesh to the Students of LLB Program 1.What are the Core Objectives of LLB Program? i) To regulate social behavior based on contextual demands; ii) To detect the criminal and innocent in terms of legal affairs; iii) To ensure justice & implementation of rule of law 1.What is the Objective of SSB ? Ans. The main objective of SSB is to measure BD economy in terms of social variables like health, education, population etc. which determines rules & regulation, laws & statutes, politics, culture, religion, marriage & family, social solidarity etc.

2. According to Marxist Model: Social system is the complex of base (economy) & super structure (politics, culture, law, ideology, solidarity etc). So, if the students of LLB study SSB, they will know how state laws & ideology may be influenced by economy of a society. Economy (Base) Politics, Culture, Law, Ideology, Solidarity (Super Structure)

3. According to Structural Functionalist Model: Any social system consists of four sub-systems: economy, politics, culture, integration/solidarity within societal communities and they influence each other. So, if the students of LLB study SSB, they will know how the law of each part of society influences the laws of other parts of society.

Economic Laws Political Laws Laws related to Integration / Solidarity Cultural Laws Society

4. What is the reason of different laws in different social systems? : Answer: Laws Economy, Politics, Culture, Ideology, Social solidarity etc.

5. According to Islamic Shariah: Islamic Shariah Economy, Politics, Culture, Laws, Ideology, Social solidarity etc.

Defining Society The English word ‘society’ derived from the Latin word socius meaning "companion, associate, comrade or business partner." Notably, without association the existence of human being may not be imagined. As Aristotle said: Man is a social animal. The person who doesn’t want to live in the society is either God or beast. So, society is the complex of organized associations and institutions with different communities.

MacIver defined society as a “web of social relationship”. Moris Ginsberg said, “A society is a collection of individuals united by certain relations or mode of behaviour which mark them off from others who do not enter into these relations or who differ from them in behaviour”. Cambridge Advanced Dictionary defined society as “a large group of people who live together in an organized way, making decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done.”

Since no single definition of society is universally applicable, we can operationalize the concept through the following characteristics: 1. Society consists of people 2. Mutual interaction and mutual awareness 3. Both common and multiple interests 4. Society is dynamic, not static 5. Each society has its own culture 6. Cooperation and division of labour. 7. Both likeness and difference 8. Both ‘we’ feeling and ‘they’ feeling 9. Society has the dominance over its members (Social Control) 10. Society has different parts like human organism.

Defining Socio-Economy Simply stated, economy is a part of a social system. An economic system is a way of answering these basic questions: what to produce, how to produce it, and who gets what is produced. That is, economic system refers to the process of ownership & allocation of resources and of production and consumption. But, socio-economy refers to those social aspects which are related to economy (e.g., education, health, hygiene or sanitation, population, labour force, women empowerment, good governance etc.).

Definition of BD Bangladesh! Yes, it is a nation, a country, a society which has a great history and distinctiveness. Rabindra Nath’s Sonar Bangla, Nazrul’s Bangladesh and Jibon Ananda Das’s Ruposhi Bangla all these are the designations of the country. Many poets, singers and authors, since the very beginning, have been voicing the separate entity of the land as reflected in their poems, songs and their writings. These are not, at all, exaggeration for Bangladesh. Rather, it has own distinctiveness and separate entity toward the world. Let’s discuss the profile of Bangladesh from different aspects.

Profile of Bangladesh Profile of Bangladesh may be discussed from different aspects as follows: 1.Geographical & Environmental Aspect; 2.Historical Aspect; 3.Political Aspect; 4.Economic Aspect; 5.Demographic Aspect; 6.Language, Literature & Educational Aspect; 7.Ethnic & Racial Aspect, 8.Religious & cultural Aspect; and 9.Social Aspect,

1.Geographical & Environmental Aspect Geographically, Bangladesh has a distinctive entity as evident from the table below: Table: Bangladesh Geography at a Glance Location Between 20°34´ & 24°38´ North Latitude & Between 88°01´ & 92°41´ East Longitude BoundaryNorth & West: India, East: India & Myanmar, South: Bay of Bengal Division7 Thana601 Union4472 Village85650

Sea Ports2 (Chittagong & Mongla) Major RiversPadma, Meghna, jamuna, Teesta, Surma, Karnafuli Average Temp.Summer: 21 c to 34 c Winter: 11 c to 29 c Monsoon Aver. Rainfall 1149 mm to 3454 mm Standard TimeGMT + 6 Hours Humidity99% (July), 36% (Dec. & Jan.) Source: BBS, 2007 Little Data Book