BIGD hosted Dr David Jackman for a conversation on his book “Syndicates and Societies: Criminal Politics in Dhaka.” Drawing on years of research, the book examines how syndicates, musclemen, and political actors shape life in Kawran Bazaar, the country’s largest wholesale market—determining who works where, how services are delivered, and who profits. It traces how control has shifted over time, revealing the deep entanglement of criminal authority, party politics, and the state in the market’s everyday functioning.
The session offered participants the opportunity to engage in a rich discussion with the author, reflecting on what these dynamics mean for how we understand cities. The discussion also prompted broader reflection on informal markets elsewhere, and how local political arrangements within them can influence wider patterns of governance and urban order.
Dr David Jackman is a Departmental Lecturer in Development Studies at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on the political economy of crime and violence in South Asia, with a particular emphasis on Bangladesh and West Bengal. He has published works on labour politics, syndicates, elections, beggar leaders, and destitution. He is currently writing a political history of the Sundarbans, with a focus on piracy.
