TERM PAPER
On
Political culture of Bangladesh: An Analytical Study
Submitted To
Shaila Solaiman
Assistant Professor
Dept. of IR
Bangladesh University of Professionals
Submitted By
M. ALIF AL ASIF
ID: 17411024
SEC-B
Dept. of IR
Course Name – Comparative Politics
Code – IR 4836
Bangladesh University of Professionals
Date of Submission: 01/11/2020
Abstract
Political culture is a particular and designed perspective about how political and economic life
should be done. A political culture comprises of major presumptions about how the political
cycle ought to work. For instance, Americans expect that when a political decision is lost, the
washout will acknowledge the outcomes and not thwart the victor from getting down to
business. We much of the time inquire as to why Bangladeshis disregard laws and
arrangements, planned for the benefit of all, and don't do what they know is correct. The issue
is truly bound up in the political culture we created throughout the long term. This study
provides an overview of the political culture and its various typologies. It analyses and
expressed the political culture of Bangladesh. The study is based on review of existing
secondary sources.
Keyword: Political Culture, Parochial, Subject, Participant, Political Ideology
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Table of Contents
Chapter One ............................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 4
Objectives of the Study .......................................................................................................... 4
Rationale of the Study ............................................................................................................ 5
Research question ................................................................................................................... 5
Chapter Two ............................................................................................................................. 6
Literature Review ................................................................................................................... 6
Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 6
Chapter Three .......................................................................................................................... 7
Analysis of the paper ................................................................................................................. 7
Political Culture...................................................................................................................... 7
Components of Political Culture ............................................................................................ 7
Policy Environment and Political Culture.............................................................................. 8
Political Culture and Political Ideology ................................................................................. 8
Political Culture of Bangladesh.............................................................................................. 9
Parliamentary Democracy ...................................................................................................... 9
Women’s interest in politics ................................................................................................... 9
Common leadership pattern ................................................................................................... 9
Absence of individuals' trust in government ........................................................................ 11
Restricted political communication ...................................................................................... 11
Attacks on Civil Society....................................................................................................... 11
Freedom of Expression......................................................................................................... 12
Assaults on Minorities.......................................................................................................... 12
Chapter Four .......................................................................................................................... 13
Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 13
References ............................................................................................................................ 14
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Chapter One
Introduction
Each public has a culture that separates its individuals' qualities and ways of life from those of
different social orders. The anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn characterized culture as "the
absolute life method of a people, the social inheritance the individual secures from his
gathering." Or culture can be viewed as that part of the climate that is the making of man."
Most social researchers appear to concur that culture shapes or impacts social activity yet
doesn't completely decide it. Culture is just one of numerous components that may provide
structure and guidance to human conduct. We are intrigued here in the part of the overall culture
of a general public that can be assigned political culture: broadly held qualities, convictions,
and mentalities on what governments should attempt to do, how they ought to work, and
connections between the resident and government. Political culture is one of the fundamental
elements of strategy climate in Bangladesh (Kabir 2006; Shehabuddin 2013). It has
extraordinary effect on strategy making. Our political culture is majority rule and yet less
lenient. We put stock in vote-based system and the privilege of everybody to be heard. There
likewise exists member political culture however at times it goes toward misguided course.
The Dictatorship of well-known political pioneers, military laws, political brutality, flawed
Election framework, red tapes was likewise the element of Political Culture in Bangladesh for
most recent forty years.
Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this study is to enhance knowledge about the political culture of
Bangladesh. Though political culture are subjects of much popular discussion and debate in the
media, academic research and empirical data on political culture have been limited. The
specific objectives of the paper are as follows:
❖ To know about various types and components of political culture.
❖ To know the relationship between political culture and policy environment.
❖ To know about the political culture of Bangladesh.
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Rationale of the Study
The term 'political culture' is utilized in the field of sociology. It refers to generally based,
broadly shared convictions, sentiments, and qualities about the idea of political frameworks,
which can fill in as a connection among residents and government. Various nations have
distinctive political societies, which can assist us with seeing how and why their
administrations are sorted out with a particular goal in mind, why vote based systems succeed
or fizzle, or why a few nations have governments. Understanding our own political culture can
likewise give signs to political connections, for example, those we share with one another or
our administration.
Research question
This paper has a main central research question which carries a full structure of this research
paper and indicates the main theme of the paper. So, following this concept the central study
question is given below:
How’s the relationship between political culture and policy environment in the context of the
political culture of Bangladesh?
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Chapter Two
Literature Review
In the paper “Political Parties in Bangladesh” by Rounaq Jahan who provides an overview of
the evolution of political parties since the birth of Bangladesh. It analyses and compares the
ideology, organisational structure, leadership, and support base of four major electoral political
parties, Bangladesh Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jatiya Party and
Jamaat‐e‐Islami. Key features of party practices and their impact on political development are
identified (Riaz 2004, 2010). The state of internal democracy within parties is a particular focus
of the study. Six indicators are used to assess the state of internal party democracy. Author also
focused on several features such as ideology, organisational structure, leadership, membership,
support base and factionalism (Riaz 2004, 2010). Since many observers have identified the
lack of internal democracy within parties as the key constraint inhibiting consolidation of
democracy in Bangladesh, we have explored in depth the challenge of democratising political
parties. Author used six indicators to assess internal party democracy (Khan et al. 1996, 2008).
The indicators used are leadership selection, candidate nomination, policy-setting,
representation of social diversity, party funding and inter and intra-party conflict resolution.
We note below key findings of the study and suggest some priority actions (Riaz 2004, 2010)
The indicators are leadership selection, candidate nomination, policy‐setting, social diversity
of leadership, transparency, and accountability of party towards election funding, and inter and
intra‐party violence. Challenges facing the parties are highlighted and actions are suggested to
improve the functioning of political parties.
Methodology
Data were collected from various published documents in the form of books, journals,
government circulars, newspapers, research reports and internet browsing. Books and Journals
have provided theoretical knowledge regarding the Political Culture of Bangladesh.
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Chapter Three
Analysis of the paper
Political Culture
Political culture refers to those thoughts, qualities, mentalities, or direction about a political
framework which is adequate to and shared by most of the individuals in the state. The term
political culture will be more emphatic when it will be clarified in the domain of legislative
issues. In this way, it implies that inside a gathering and society there is different strands of
suppositions about a political framework, standard and convictions.
Definitions of political culture are many and varied.
Roy Macridis writes of it as the 'commonly shared goals and commonly accepted rules'. a
Samuel Beer made the concept of one of four variables crucial to the analysis of political
systems.
According to Beer, the components of the culture are values, beliefs, and emotional attitudes
about how government ought to be conducted and about what it should do.
Different countries have different political cultures. For example, American political culture
can be defined according to some basic and commonly shared beliefs, such as our commitment
to democracy, equality, free enterprise, and individualism. Concepts related to liberty,
nationalism, and reliance on a legislative body, instead of an individual ruler, are also unique
to American political culture.
Components of Political Culture
◼ Cognitive Orientation: - It is implied by the amount and the type of the knowledge
which the people possess about political problems and events.
◼ Effective Orientation: - It implies the amount of devotion and interest of the people
toward their political system.
◼ Evaluative Orientation: - While evaluating their political system people try to know if
the political system has achieved the objective which it had sought to achieve it.
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Policy Environment and Political Culture
At whatever point make any approach, its natural impact must be contemplated. On the off
chance that climate doesn't reaction decidedly, the yield of public strategy may negative.
Strategy Environment implies where any arrangement is made, its yields are applied and from
where the criticism of this approach is taken (Khan et al. 1996, 2008). It incorporates political,
social, monetary culture. There are a few entertainers and variables in strategy climate which
enormously impact the public arrangement. Political Culture is one of the main elements in
strategy climate.
A political culture is a bunch of perspectives and practices held by a people that shapes their
political conduct. It incorporates moral decisions, political legends, convictions, and thoughts
regarding what makes for a decent society (Khan et al. 1996, 2008). A political culture is an
impression of a legislature; however, it additionally fuses components of history and custom
that may originate before the current system. Political societies matter since they shape a
populace's political recognitions and activities.
Governments can help shape political culture and general supposition through schooling,
public functions, and celebration of the past. Political societies change extraordinarily from
state to state and at times even inside a state. Political culture of any nation impacts the
approach making measures (Khan et al. 1996, 2008). In a vote-based nation, government ought
to consider the people groups support in strategy making. If there exists intra party strife in any
nation, it will disregard the strategy making measure.
Political Culture and Political Ideology
Political culture is a more extensive and more essential thing that political philosophy. For
instance, pretty much everybody in the Bangladesh shares a political culture. Our political
culture is majority rule and open minded. We as a whole trust in vote-based system and the
privilege of everybody to be heard. So political culture is kind of our most profound
perspectives towards how the framework should function. Then again, Political philosophy is
an organized arrangement of directions and convictions through which people comprehend and
decipher governmental issues (Kabir 2006).
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Political Culture of Bangladesh
We should recognize that when our nation's advancement program is going ahead, our political
culture is backing up. The subject can be perceived with the idea of 'twofold resistance'. That
is, the nation's financial development, increment in per-capita pay, fruitful youth of
computerized Bangladesh, solid administration in the political field, headway of tigers in
sports, arriving at the highest point of ladies' games in global rivalry, when the picture of the
nation is featuring the world, just the legislative issues of naughtiness is our own Fades. That
is, now we are taking a break, where both turn of events and non-advancement are going on at
the same time (Kabir 2006; Shehabuddin 2013).
The individuals of Bangladesh will in general accept the accompanying about the political
framework:
Parliamentary Democracy
Bangladesh is a parliamentary popular government generally affected by the British
parliamentary framework. Leader power is in the possession of the executive, who is the top
of the bureau, and who must be an individual from the 300-seat Jatiya Sangsad (unicameral
parliament). She/he prescribes the chamber of pastors to the president. The president is the
established head of state and is chosen for a 5-year term by the parliament, however, assumes
a generally formal job (Khan et al. 1996, 2008). The president can act just on the guidance of
the executive, as the official force was fundamentally decreased as per established changes in
1991.
Women’s interest in politics
Every single grown-up resident (18 years of age and over) are qualified to cast a ballot,
including ladies and ethnic minorities. One of the novel highlights of the political framework
in Bangladesh is that 50 seats in the parliament are held for female individuals, and they are
chosen by the individuals from the parliament.
Common leadership pattern
There are a few shared characteristics in the administration examples of ideological groups in
Bangladesh. To begin with, the top party administration position has stayed unaltered for
almost thirty years in the three significant gatherings. Sheik Hasina has been the leader of AL
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since 1981; Khaled Zia has been the executive of BNP since 1984; and H M Arshad Chairman
of Jatiya Party since the establishing of the gathering in 1986 (Khan et al. 1996, 2008). Indeed,
even in Jamaat, Professor Ghulam Azam was the ameer from 1992 to 2000, and Maulana
Matiur Rahman Nizami from 2000 till his detainment on atrocities charges in 2011.
The subsequent normal element shared by the three significant gatherings, AL, BNP, and Jatiya
Party, is the prevalence of dynastic progression. Both AL and BNP are driven by two dynastic
inheritors. Sheik Hasina is the little girl of the dad of the country Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and Khaleda Zia is the widow of Ziaur Rahman, the originator of the BNP. In BNP,
Khaleda Zia's oldest child, Tareque Rahman has been elevated to the situation of the senior bad
habit executive and is unmistakably recognized as the dynastic replacement (Khan et al. 1996,
2008). In AL, there is no reasonable dynastic replacement to Sheik Hasina, yet theory has
revolved around a few relatives including her sister Sheik Rehana and child Sojib Wajed Joy.
In Jatiya Party, the establishing president Ershad is yet alive yet his better half Raushan Ershad
has now been made the head of the parliamentary party. Another gathering challenging her
authority is driven by Ershad's sibling G M Qader.
The third normal element is the pervasiveness of familial governmental issues. In AL and BNP
numerous relatives (close and reached out) of Sheik Hasina and Khaleda Zia have just held
significant political positions. Even though Sheik Hasina has as of late characterized her family
to incorporate just her sister and their kids, seven individuals from Sheik Hasina more distant
family have been chosen for the 10th parliament. They incorporate, three cousins, three
nephews and the dad in-law of her little girl (Khan et al. 1996, 2008). Her child, Joy, and her
sister, Rehana's child Redwan Siddique Boby have not yet been chosen for any political office,
yet both are engaged with gathering and mission exercises. Satisfaction has additionally been
named the innovation consultant to the Prime Minister (Khan et al. 1996, 2008). In BNP as
well, notwithstanding her child Tareque Rahman, Khaleda Zia's sister was an individual from
the eighth parliament just as a bureau serve. Khaleda's sibling was likewise an individual from
the eighth parliament. Three of her nephews were politically persuasive. In Jatiya Party,
Ershad's sibling, sister just as his spouse’s host been MPs and held different get-together
positions.
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Absence of individuals' trust in government
Individuals' confidence in government and following organizations is a critical basis of created
vote-based system. Here, well known help and certainty might be focused around three zones:
thwarted expectation—
1.
with government officials.
2.
with after gatherings; and
3.
with political establishment.
In Bangladesh the degree of individuals' trust in organization, legislators, affectivity of
strategies and other after authoritative and political establishment and administrations is low.
Lawmakers and manager are tainted to such an extent that locals consistently attempt to abstain
themselves from any arrangement just as hint with them.
Restricted political communication
The commitment of common individuals in just after necessitates that they must have the
emotions that it is sheltered to do as such. For this, there should have an unlimited
correspondence technique which include –
1. A free push media.
2. Vested parties liberated from law making and gathering control.
3.Regular, free in addition to reasonable electrons.
4. Solid lawfulness circumstance.
Attacks on Civil Society
Common liberties bunches in Bangladesh face consistent deterrents, including heightening
badgering and observation by police. Another law put solid limitations on accepting unfamiliar
assets without endorsement by the NGO Affairs Bureau inside the Prime Minister's Office
(Khan et al. 1996, 2008).
Columnists are likewise a typical objective. The supervisor of the English-language Daily Star,
Mahfuz Anam, faces a sum of 54 criminal slander cases and 15 rebellion cases. 55 bodies of
evidence have been recorded against supervisor Matiur Rahman and a few writers related with
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the nation's most noteworthy course every day, Prothom Alo, for criminal maligning and
"harming strict feeling."
Freedom of Expression
A few laws were proposed in 2016 to build limitations on opportunity of articulation. The
Distortion of the History of Bangladesh Liberation War Crimes Act accommodates detainment
and fines if subtleties of the 1971 battle of freedom are discussed or questioned. The Foreign
Donation (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act, passed in October, to control
nongovernmental associations (NGOs) will thwart opportunities of articulation and affiliation.
Proposed Press Council Act changes incorporate arrangements for shutting papers (Khan et al.
1996, 2008). The administration keeps on utilizing the excessively expansive and obscure
Information and Communication Technology Act against individuals incredulous of choices
and exercises of senior government authorities or their families (Khan et al. 1996, 2008).
Bloggers communicating common perspectives and editors and scholars supporting sexual
minority rights were assaulted in 2016, many them hacked to death out in the open spaces.
While specialists denounced the assaults, some suggested that people holding disagreeable
perspectives edit themselves, inferring that the duty regarding evading such assaults lay with
the people in question.
Assaults on Minorities
A few strict pioneers were murdered or harmed in focused assaults, purportedly by similar
fanatic Muslim gatherings that focused mainstream authors. In April, the support bunch HinduBuddha-Christian Okiya Parishad said there had been multiple times more episodes of
viciousness against minority networks in the initial three months of 2016 than in all of 2015.
Hindu sanctums, sanctuaries and homes were assaulted over the October 2016 Diwali
celebration. The administration reacted by capturing a few hundred suspects, however some
irregular assaults against the Hindu people group proceeded. A huge number of indigenous
individuals in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
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Chapter Four
Conclusion
Political culture is trans-mitted from one generation to another by socialization, a process in
which the individual, through many experiences with parents, friends, teachers, political
leaders, and others, learns politically relevant values, beliefs, and attitudes. Political culture,
then, is acquired by the individual, becomes a part of his or her psychological makeup, and is
manifested in his or her behaviour.
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