A majority Muslim nation with a population of some 154 million people, Bangladesh receives little notice in the West. In Understanding Bangladesh, an account of the political and economic experiences of the Bangladeshi state and its people, S. Mahmud Ali identifies the key players among Bangladesh's tiny military, political, and business elite, explores the attempts to establish their authority, and considers the relative merits of their efforts and nation building. Ali concludes with an outline of both the remarkable achievements recorded by this land of unusual narratives and the elemental challenges its burgeoning population faces in the years ahead.