This book unveils how donor dependence and geopolitics influence the motives and activities of South Asian NGOs while operating in diverse development discourse, developing a superiority-complex challenge in upholding their core values. In doing so, the book covers the historical evolution of NGOs, their power dynamics and relationships with the state and other stakeholders, their corporatization-driven autonomy and its implications for neo-imperialism, their accountability to their beneficiaries and the state, their responses to the decline or deterioration of quality public institutions or policies, and their advocacy for empowerment of people and communities.

The book also identifies factors that influence the effectiveness and impact of NGO work in South Asia, such as political and economic factors, rent-seeking opportunities, overlapping notions of empowerment, public consciousness of interests or values, exit or voice options, loyalty or attachment to public institutions or policies, state responsiveness or repression, foreign donors or international organizations, and regional or global geopolitics. Furthermore, it sheds light upon the potential to promote sustainable and inclusive development outside these politically sensitive power paradigms for NGOs.

Dr. Md. Reazul Haque, is a Professor and Former Chair at the Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. His academic journey is adorned with significant milestones, including his roles as Visiting Research Fellow at IDE-JETRO, Japan, and Affiliate Faculty Member at the Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, USA. He has also served as a consultant for numerous organizations, including UN Women, Save the Children, World Vision and UNDP.

A H M Nahid is an Assistant Professor and Former Chair in the Department of Development Studies at Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh. His research focuses on critical development issues in Bangladesh, such as social development, institutional accountability, and public policy. He is a co-author of a chapter on gender development in the book titled Fifty Years of Nation Building (The University Press Limited, 2024) and has published single-author articles in international journals.