ELITE FORMATION IN BANGLADESH POLITICS

This comprehensive analysis examines the formation, composition, and dynamics of political elites in Bangladesh during the late 1980s, a period of significant political transition and democratization. The article explores how different elite groups including political leaders, military officers, civil bureaucrats, business entrepreneurs, and civil society actors have shaped Bangladeshs political development since independence. The research investigates the social backgrounds, educational qualifications, career patterns, and ideological orientations of various elite segments. The study analyzes the processes of elite recruitment, circulation, and transformation across different political regimes. The article examines how elite interactions and conflicts have influenced policy formulation, institutional development, and democratic consolidation. The research also assesses the relationship between elite dynamics and broader social changes, including the emergence of new social forces and the persistence of traditional power structures. Furthermore, the analysis evaluates the prospects for more inclusive and accountable elite formation in the evolving political landscape of Bangladesh.

Political elite formation represents a crucial dimension of state-building and democratic development in Bangladesh, with this article providing a comprehensive analysis of elite dynamics during the late 1980s. The research begins by examining the historical context of elite formation in Bangladesh, tracing the transition from colonial administrative elites through Pakistani period political leadership to post-independence elite configurations. The analysis explores the social composition of political elites, investigating patterns of regional origin, educational background, class position, and previous political experience among different elite segments. The article examines elite recruitment mechanisms, analyzing how political parties, military institutions, bureaucratic structures, and economic networks serve as pathways to elite status. The study investigates elite circulation patterns, assessing the degree of mobility between different elite sectors and the persistence of traditional elite families across generational changes. The research evaluates elite ideological orientations, examining how different elite groups articulate visions of national development, democracy, and social transformation. Based on the comprehensive assessment, the article analyzes both continuities and changes in elite formation and identifies factors that will shape future elite dynamics in Bangladeshs evolving political system. The findings provide valuable insights into the relationship between elite structures and political development in post-colonial states and contribute to understanding the challenges of democratic consolidation in societies with complex elite configurations.