How "civil" is civil society? Authoritarian state, partisan civil society, and the struggle for democratic development in Bangladesh

This paper disputes the widely held assumption that civil society is the site for democracy and development. By exploring the emerging case of Bangladesh, it calls into question the popular belief that civil society aims to protect the interests of ordinary citizens. While it recognizes the ability of civil society groups to create a political space necessary for bringing the poor out of poverty, it challenges the notion that civil society maintains its autonomy vis-a-vis the state and other political forces.