Paper short abstract

This paper will look at the political significance of Mastaans in Banglades, focusing on their emergence in rural settings.

Paper long abstract

To date Mastaans have been studied mostly in urban contexts, and are normally portrayed as intermediaries operating between the worlds of criminality and politics. In this paper, I will examine the emergence of Mastaans in rural contexts, and reflect on their significance in relation to both the practice of clientelism and the development of democracy.