In Bangladesh, and often elsewhere, public intellectuals have a significant impact on public debates. This book presents a detailed examination of the characteristics, activities and functions of public intellectuals in Bangladesh. Its central concern is to show how the country's long history of political partisanship has affected the various roles played by public intellectuals in the Bangladeshi 'public sphere.'
The book seeks to clarify the concepts of 'public intellectual,' 'public sphere' and 'partisanship,' and to situate them in the new/transitional democracy of Bangladesh. It then examines the effects of political partisanship on the professional and political activities of public intellectuals. It provides valuable insights into how such intellectuals have been variously affected by the partisanship which surrounds their activities. So does it also show significant public disapproval of partisan involvement on the part of public intellectuals. Here, empirical data on intellectuals and data on public perceptions are brought together in order to present a more complete understanding of the role played by public intellectuals in the public sphere of Bangladesh
