Prof. Dr. M. Azizur Rahman

Founder of Uttara University

Democracy in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been independent in 1971. Until the 1990, we did not have any
democracy in real sense. In 1991, we got the Bangladesh Nationalist Party
(BNP) as the first democratic party in Bangladesh and Awami League in 1996,
again BNP 2001 and Awami League 2009. Since last 22 years, we have been
able to develop a culture of democracy in Bangladesh. We expect to maintain
and continue this culture from now and on. Many factors including the politics,
democracy and bureaucracy are essential to develop a country and the standard
of human life and living. However, problems are too many to discuss. Political
parties in power try to stay in power all the time and for ever. In this effort, they
try to politicize almost everything they can. The politicians in power offer
undue advantages to its people, supporter and its own political men and women,
supporting bureaucrats and businessmen etc. Democracy means that the
political parties will form the government by a majority votes of the common
people. Members of the parliament are responsible to make the laws by getting
it drafted by the bureaucrats, reviewed by the ministry of law and finally by
getting it passed through “Yes” votes in the parliament. ‘MPs’ function is
limited here just to make these laws for the governmental executive to
implement. But these MPs’ do not stop here just by making laws. They poke
their nose everywhere in the country in order to obtain their personal, family
and social gain, political and non-political gain and exercise their power over
bureaucrats.

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