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This study attempts to explore the interdependent relationship between humans and nature, and to comprehend the community understanding of the “One Health” approach in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Sundarbans in Bangladesh. It explores challenges in socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) management, response of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), and corresponding outcomes, and also examines factors affecting the ecosystem’s balance. It particularly draws on the insights of traditional resource users (TRUs) in a part of the Sundarbans who are wood collectors (Bawali), fishermen (Jele), honey and wax collectors (Mouali), and crab collectors. The study adopts a multiple evidence base (MEB) approach in order to bring in the participatory insights of IPLCs, coupled with scientific knowledge and interdisciplinary heterodox perspectives. Based on the community conceptualisation of the One Health approach, this study demonstrates that the appropriation of nature (conservation, restoration, sustainable use, access, and benefit sharing) instead of expropriation (anthropogenic pressures) can serve as a yardstick to ensure a virtuous cycle in the ecosystem and a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. The study presents a modified One Health framework for the post-2020 period that calls for ensuring rights-oriented universal social entitlements, provision of livelihood security, and promotion of human-nature cooperation underwritten by customary sustainable practices and traditional knowledge in SEPLS management.

The chapter analyses the state of healthcare, where private expenditure in the form of out of pocket expenditure (OOP) in healthcare has been increasing recklessly, yet the quality of the services fails to meet internationally agreed standards. The public spending is inadequate to offset the low private consumption of the poor and the marginalised, creating an unequal health outcome amongst the population. The poor quality of health and education is reflected in low skills and productivity of the labour force. The analysis points out crucial indicators of access to healthcare which includes availability, affordability and accountability, and the sufficient conditions required to achieve universal health care, innovation and skill formation.

The chapter demonstrates the declining trend of productivity in agriculture. It is observed that the post-green revolution period has experienced little technological advancement. On the other hand, the poor and marginal peasants and tenants comprising the majority of total farm population cannot afford the high cost of inputs and technologies. In addition, the declining trend in the availability of arable land causes the growth in agricultural sector to fall, despite higher cropping intensity. Moreover, the crop production has concentrated in only cereal products and the lack of variations in the output basket keeps food autarky at bay. Moreover, the use of technology in agriculture is yet to reach all steps and phases of the process of production. Most importantly, the so-called green revolution has been negatively impacting the sustainability of environment and nature at large. It is further argued that the sector is exhibiting gradual reduced contribution to the GDP, though having the highest number of people dependent on agriculture for employment, indicating a high rate of under-employment and inadequate labour absorption capacities of manufacturing and service sectors, highlighting a fragile structural transformation and concentration of poverty in rural areas.

Final section attempts to establish a causal relationship amongst economic outcomes, institutions and political settlement. It evinces that the distribution of power and associated nature of political settlement, rooted in formal and informal institutions acts as the sufficient conditions for a stable, transformed and sustained economic outcome. This book, therefore, suggests that an accountable system of governance can advance the aspiration of people, ascribed through three core principles of the war of independence of Bangladesh—equality, human dignity and social justice. All of these lead to the idea of establishing a new public order between the citizens and the state through a new social contract. It further reasons that Bangladesh’s hope sits on pluralism and an inclusive political system can infuse actualization of her unlimited potentials.

This chapter explores the growth scenario of Bangladesh economy. This chapter attempts to examine the current state of economic growth of Bangladesh in terms of stability and analyse the conditions for transformability by looking at power, political settlement and institutions. It further scrutinises the conditions for environmentally sustainable growth that ascertains good quality of life of both humans and nature. It also inquires whether the claimed high rate of growth commensurate with the statistics on components of national income—consumption, savings, investment, expenditure and trade volumes—provided by the official sources such as Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and other government agencies. Current economic growth of the country has been fuelled by RMG and remittance sector, both now showing negative growth rate. The Covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the current scenario. Political settlement has been used as a tool to demonstrate the clientelism that exists in the economy. Since there is global discussion on sustainable development goals (SDGs), this chapter also aims at assessing the progress of Bangladesh economy towards attaining SDGs. The chapter too draws on cross country analyses to show how the economic growth in Bangladesh has progressed compared to other countries.

The chapter examines the state of poverty and inequality. The rate of poverty reduction exhibits a slowing down trend, which is not compatible with the story of ‘high’ rate of growth of GDP. At the same time, inequality is mounting with a fast pace. Resources are being concentrated in the pockets of a few at the expense of many. This chapter points out that widespread primitive accumulation of capital through using the monopoly power of the state results in to centralization of resources to clientelist networks. This chapter also extends the discussion of rights-based inequality in the context of Bangladesh by focusing on access to justice and how it is manifested with respect to inequality.