The Toxic Politics of Bangladesh: A Bipolar Competitive Neopatrimonial State?

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In order to understand the structural dimensions of the problems concerning democratic governance in Bangladesh, this article seeks to explicate whether or not Bangladesh is a neopatrimonial state. This article examines contemporary Bangladesh politics with a particular focus on the notion of neopatrimonialism and with special reference to the personalization of state power. The concept of neopatrimonialism has great utility in explaining leadership behaviour in a dysfunctional democracy such as Bangladesh, where personalized exchanges, exploitation of bureaucratic and state mechanisms and political scandals are common. I argue that Bangladesh is a special variant of the neopatrimonial state, which I suggest to be bipolar neopatrimonialism. I contend that since independence, successive governments and political leaders always attempt to monopolize state power in various ways. The patron-client society of Bangladesh helps political leaders to personalize the state power they possess. To monopolize state power, the political elites of Bangladesh create networks and alliances, relying on exchanges to meet their objectives. In this regard, state elites use elements of the state and political system to mediate these exchanges.

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 Khan, M. M., "‘State of governance in Bangladesh"

2 Wikileaks, "‘Loyalty and access trump titles in influencing PM"

3 Zaman, M. Q., "Ziaur Rahman: leadership styles and mobilization process" 18 (18): 194-203, 1984

4 The Daily Star, "Withdrawal of ‘‘politically motivated’’ cases: making farce of rule of law"

5 Jahan, R., "Why are we still continuing with a ‘‘viceregal’’ political system?" 2004

6 Ali, S. M., "Understanding Bangladesh" Hurst and Company 2010

7 Eisenstadt, S. N., "Traditional Patrimonialism and Modern Neopatrominialism" Sage Publications 1973

8 Clapham, C., "Third World Politics: An Introduction" Croom Helm 1985

9 Medard, J. F., "The underdeveloped state in Africa: political clientelism or neopatrimonialism?, In Private Patronage and Public Power: Political Clientelism in the Modern World" Frances Pinter 1982

10 Mohsin, A., "The struggle for democracy in Bangladesh, In Democracy in Muslim Societies: The Asian Experience" Sage 2007

11 Sobhan, R., "The state of governance in Bangladesh, In Changes and Challenges" Centre for Policy Dialogue and University Press Limited 2001

12 Alavi, H., "The state in post-colonial societies: Pakistan and Bangladesh" 74 : 59-81, 1972

13 Kochanek, S. A., "The rise of interest politics in Bangladesh" 36 (36): 704-722, 1996

14 Islam, S. A., "The predicament of democratic consolidation in Bangladesh" 3 (3): 1-30, 2006

15 Callaghy, T. M., "The State-Society Struggle: Zaire in Comparative Perspective" Columbia University Press 1984

16 Alam, S. M. S., "The State, Class Formation, and Development in Bangladesh" University Press of America 1995

17 Islam, M. M., "The Politics of Food Security in Bangladesh" University of New South Wales 2012

18 Ahmed, N., "The Parliament of Bangladesh" Ashgate 2002

19 Sobhan, R., "Structural dimensions of malgovernance in Bangladesh" 39 (39): 4101-4108, 2004

20 Migdal, J. S., "Strong Societies and Weak States. Princeton" Princeton University Press 1988

21 The Daily Star, "Shake-up at the top echelon of bureaucracy: will it make governance dynamic?"

22 Khan, M. H., "Prodhan Montreer Nironkhush Khomota, Badal ki Darkar? [The absolute power of the Prime Minister, do we need change?]"

23 Khan, S. I., "Political Culture, Political Parties and the Democratic Transition in Bangladesh" University Press Limited 2008

24 Guliyev, F., "Personal rule, neopatrimonialism, and regime typologies: integrating Dahlian and Weberian approaches to regime studies" 18 (18): 575-601, 2011

25 Sarker, A. E., "Patron-client politics and its implications for good governance in Bangladesh" 31 (31): 1416-1440, 2008

26 Kochanek, S. A., "Patron-Client Politicsand Business in Bangladesh" Sage Publications 1993

27 Bach, D. C., "Patrimonialism and neopatrimonialism: comparative trajectories and readings" 49 (49): 275-294, 2011

28 Theobold, R., "Patrimonialism" 34 (34): 548-559, 1982

29 Maniruzzaman, M., "Party politics and political violence in Bangladesh: issues, manifestation and consequences" 16 (16): 81-99, 2009

30 Karim, R., "Party constitutions: rarely followed"

31 Muhith, A. M. A., "On good governance" 8 (8): 1-28, 2006

32 Bratton, M., "Neopatrimonial regimes and political transitions in Africa" 46 (46): 453-489, 1994

33 Khan, M. H., "Markets, states and democracy: Patron-client networks and the case for democracy in developing countries" 12 (12): 704-724, 2005

34 Marcus, R. R., "Marc the Medici? The failure of a new form of neopatrimonial rule in Madagascar" 125 (125): 111-131, 2010

35 The Daily Star, "MPs won’t give up on duty-free cars: ordinance banning the privilege would not be made law"

36 Khan, Z. R., "Leadership, parties and politics in Bangladesh" 29 (29): 102-125, 1976

37 Riaz, A., "Islamist Militancy in Bangladesh: A Complex Web" Routledge 2008

38 Islam, S. A., "Is the candle still burning? Weber and the crisis of democratic transition in Bangladesh" 1 (1): 1-14, 2004

39 IvPol2, "Interviewed"

40 IvCS6, "Interviewed"

41 IvGOB8, "Interviewed"

42 IvGOB9, "Interviewed"

43 Khan, A. A., "Interview on public administration in Bangladesh, interviewed by Rassel Mahmud, BBC Bengali Service [radio]"

44 The Economist, "India and Bangladesh embraceable you: growing geopolitical interests push India to seek better relations nearer home"

45 Banyan, "In the name of the father: an obsession with Bangladesh’s past may explain its prime minister’s growing intolerance"

46 Odhikar, "Human Rights Report 2011, Odhikar (Human Rights Organization)"

47 The Daily Star, "Govt lets Ershad off the hook: it now considers radar graft case against him politically motivated, decides to withdraw 75 more case"

48 Kochanek, S. A., "Governance, patronage politics, and democratic transition in Bangladesh" 40 (40): 530-550, 2000

49 Ahmed, N., "From monopoly to competition: party politics in the Bangladesh parliament (1973-2001)" 76 (76): 55-77, 2003

50 Weber, M., "Economics and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology, vol. II" University of California Press 1978

51 Budd, E., "Democratization, Development, and the Patrimonial State in the Age of Globalization" Lexington Books 2004

52 Riaz, A., "Democracy in Bangladesh: a report card’" 7 : 2013

53 Jalal, A., "Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia" Cambridge University Press 1995

54 Kukreja, V., "Democracy and Authoritarianism in Bangladesh, In Democracy, Development and Discontent in South Asia" Sage 2008

55 Barman, D. C., "Democracy Report for Bangladesh" International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance for Bangladesh 2001

56 The Daily Star, "Crossfire deaths: anything but legally tenable"

57 Medard, J. F., "Corruption in the neo-Patrimonial States of sub-Saharan Africa, In Political Corruption: Concepts and Contexts" Transaction Publishers 2002

58 Clapham, C., "Clientelism and the state, In Private Patronage and Public Power: Political Clientelism in the Modern State" Frances Pinter 1982

59 Khan, M. H., "Class, clientelism and communal politics in contemporary Bangladesh, In The Making of History: Essays Presented to Irfan Habib" Tulika 2000

60 Sobhan, R., "Challenging the Injustice of Poverty: Agendas for Inclusive Development in South Asia" Sage 2010

61 Wikileaks, "Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina’s inner circle: loyal to the core"

62 Ahmed, S., "Bangladesh: Past and Present" A. P. H. Publishing Corporation 2004

63 Human Rights Watch, "Bangladesh: Elite Force Tortures, Kills Detainees"

64 Banyan, "Bangladesh looks back: misusing the past"

65 Bertocci, P. J., "Bangladesh in the early 1980s: praetorian politics in an intermediate regime" 22 (22): 988-1008, 1982

66 Ziring, L., "Bangladesh from Mujib to Ershad: An Interpretive Study" Oxford University Press 1992

67 Milam, W. B., "Bangladesh and Pakistan: Flirting with Failure in South Asia" Columbia University Press 2009

68 The Daily Star, "Attempt-to-rape case ‘‘politically motivated’’: charges against AL lawmaker dropped"

69 Khan, Z. R., "Aspirations and realities: parliaments and democratic culture, In Political culture in Bangladesh: Perspectives and Analysis: Selections from the Journal of Bangladesh Studies" University Press Limited 2007

70 The Daily Prothom-Alo, "17 bicharoker noyjoneri LLB te tritio srenee"