BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

THE POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNANCE IN BANGLADESH: CHANGES AND CONTINUITY

Author: M. Aynul Islam

DOI Link: DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2005v26n4a4

ABSTRACT

Political institutions are important to explain the performance of governance. Explicating the qualityand structure of political institutions helps us understanding the role of governance in modern democracies. This study attemptsto explore the relationship between political institutions and governance. The core assumption of the paper is that political institutions matter forthe quality of governancein a country. It suggeststhat there are explicit and implicitlinkages among the variables of political institutions and governance mechanisms. Thepaper takes Bangladesh-widely known as a governance deficit country-a case to understand theselinkagesfocusing on two historical phases -1971-1990 and the post-1990 era. In the context of Bangladesh, political governance characteristics demonstrate three critical aspects (i) the absence of balance of power between the three formal political institutions –executive, legislature and judiciary; (ii) inability of the state institutions and agencies to deliver services to the people; and (iii) absence of democracy model in different political institutions. The general pattern of changes is conceptualized in relation tospeed and reflexivityin the processes and functionsof political institutions and their agentive roles.In the post-1990period, the programmes for political liberalization are undertaken at a faster pace and the scope of the activity has been broadened to a considerable degree. But the governance attributes of Bangladesh in the political domain remain almost unchanged although new institutions are created. Political centre of gravity towards making more accountable and effective governance institutions is missing humanly in the country’s political framework.The paperfurther argues that the post-1990 era has been marked by changes more in the context of national policies, organizations and ideological orientation than to improve the quality and structure of political institutions.