Although in the 1970s many observers despaired of Bangladesh’s ability to escape from the depth of mass starvation, war damage, political chaos and neocolonialism, they were in for a surprise. Their fears of stagnation proved to be unfounded. The five decades since independence have witnessed enormous change in the Bengal delta as it has experienced new economic vitality, brisk population growth and unprecedented urbanisation. Humans put pressure on the environment as never before, however, and it was clear that this was a society that was bursting at the seams. Now a breathtaking race was on: was the delta headed for boom or bust?