Farooque Chowdhury, a researcher
focussing on socio-eonomic and environmental issues is co-editor of
a series of reports on Bangladesh environment - People's Report on
Bangladesh Environment. His publications include books on Venezuela,
assessment of local level environment, information technology, Bangladesh
politics. He has translated scores of books and articles on politics,
economics and environment. He regularly contributes articles in Bangla
and english in the Bangladesh press and journals and newspapers from
other countries.
Micro credit, the much propagated market mechanism
appropriates surplus value created by the debtors of micro credit
and in the broader society. The mind- boggling rate of recovery
reflects the restless hands of handicraftsmen toiling in household
based production units and allures idle capital. In the cycle
of stagnation and financial explosion monopoly-finance capital
finds a safer investment-heaven, a market nascent but carries
a promise for expansion in areas that appeared unorganized,
backward and not possible for industrial capital to subjugate.
But micro credit capital has achieved it. The debtor, at the
core of the system, the central figure in the play, but least
discussed, goes through a process of metamorphosis while puts
labour to expand the market. The anthology on micro credit in
the perspective of Bangladesh, the much worshiped place of micro
creditors, unmasks the myths manufactured by the capital-driven
mainstream media. Articles tear up the façade and reveal
the cruel face of micro credit and its icon while focus on the
appropriation of surplus value.
