The early development of social work: A comparison between the West and Bangladesh,a South Asian developing country

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to find out the similarities and differences of the origin and development of social work in the West and in a South Asian developing country: Bangladesh. In this paper, the author points out four aspects – charity and religion, poor and impoverished, social justice and equality, and concern for women – where the development of social work is almost the same in these two opposite regions of the world. The author also shows that the differences depend on how social work is practiced in different countries as well as on the situation of the country, type of government, social policies and existing laws of the country. The paper also provides a clear picture of how social work, which is not professionalized yet in Bangladesh, assists and provides social services for the well-being of the poor people.