PATHWAYS OF AUTOCRATIZATION: The Tumultuous Journey of Bangladeshi Politics | By Ali Riaz

In the book Pathways of Autocratization: The Tumultuous Journey of Bangladeshi Politics, Ali Riaz offers an in-depth exploration of the political transformations in Bangladesh, focusing on the gradual shift from a nascent democracy that has regressed towards an autocracy. Riaz traces political developments from the country’s independence in 1971 to the present day, but his primary focus is from 1991 onwards, with the downfall of the military regime. The book highlights key political events, institutional evolution, and the roles of significant political actors.

Riaz’s central research question is as follows: How and why has Bangladesh, once seen as a beacon of democracy in South Asia, increasingly shifted towards autocratic governance? This question drives his exploration of the underlying causes and mechanisms of autocratization in Bangladesh, with the aim of uncovering the specific pathways that have facilitated this political transformation.

Riaz posits that the autocratization of Bangladesh has been a gradual process facilitated by the systematic weakening of democratic institutions, media complicity, the construction of a legitimizing ideology, and external support. The significance of his argument lies in highlighting how a democracy can erode not through abrupt coups or revolutions but through a slow, often insidious process of institutional decay and political manipulation. Through detailed research and meticulous analysis, the book presents a comprehensive analysis of the global phenomena in the last two decades of the democratic rollback and Bangladesh’s tumultuous democratic pathway.

Riaz’s argument is methodically structured, beginning with the historical context of Bangladesh’s independence and the establishment of democratic institutions. He then moves through successive political eras, analyzing how each period contributed to the erosion of democratic norms. The narrative is divided into several key phases: post-independence and early democratic efforts, military coups and authoritarian rule in the mid-1970s and 1980s, return to democracy and subsequent backsliding in the early 1990s, and the contemporary political landscape that maps the rise of autocratic tendencies under current political leadership, the suppression of dissent, and the undermining of civil liberties.

Riaz has a deep understanding of Bangladesh and effectively enriches his analysis by combining the theoretical foundation with qualitative and quantitative research. This is complemented by a framework to trace the evolution of political institutions and their impact on democratic governance. The book, a well-researched but compact read, has two distinct sections: one that provides a framework to understand the process of democratic regression, and the other showing the complexity of Bangladesh’s political trajectory towards an autocracy.

Riaz’s research utilizes a diverse range of sources, including case studies, historical records, election data, legislative records, and interviews with key political figures and experts, providing a rich and nuanced understanding of political dynamics at play. These are complemented by secondary sources such as academic articles, books, and reports from think tanks and non-governmental organizations. Riaz also interlaces the book with comparative work with other countries to understand how this autocratization process sets in. This combination of sources enables Riaz to provide a well-rounded and deeply informed analysis of the cause, process, and consequences of autocratization and to construct a comprehensive narrative of political change in Bangladesh.

Since 2011, Bangladesh has consistently failed in all indicators that measure a country’s standing as a healthy representative democracy and has morphed into a single-party authoritarianism system. Riaz successfully shows that the “the ruling party chose: a path towards the gradual decline of democracy, concentration of power in the hands of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a legislature without an opposition worthy of its name, decimation of civil society, a partisan civil administration and a compromised judiciary” (29).

Riaz’s work is situated within broader scholarly debates on democratic backsliding, autocratization, and resilience of democratic institutions. This contributes to the understanding of how democracies can gradually erode without the presence of overtly authoritarian regimes. By providing a detailed case study of Bangladesh, he adds to the growing body of literature examining the pathways through which democracies deteriorate.

While Riaz’s work is comprehensive and well argued, there are a few areas where the book could be strengthened. A comparative analysis between Bangladesh and other countries experiencing similar trajectories could provide additional insights into common patterns and unique deviations in the autocratization process. Second, the book would have benefitted from a deeper look at competing theoretical frameworks on democratization and autocratization. Riaz could have made the book richer by delving deeper into institutional changes beyond the constitution, courts, civil society, etc., and exploring the politicization and subjugation of the security apparatus (police, paramilitaries, army) and the process of co-option of the business elite. Finally, although the book provides a detailed account of the challenges faced by Bangladesh, more explicit policy recommendations could enhance its utility for policy makers and practitioners working in the field of democracy promotion.

Pathways of Autocratization: The Tumultuous Journey of Bangladeshi Politics by Ali Riaz is a significant contribution to the study of political transitions and a timely examination of the erosion of democracy in Bangladesh. Through meticulous research and a nuanced theoretical approach, Riaz elucidates the complex processes that have led the country’s shift towards autocracy. One of

the most useful elements of this book is that the author uses a strong empirical and theoretical foundation to examine how countries turn from liberal democracies to electoral autocracies.

His work offers valuable insights not only for scholars of South Asian politics, but also for those interested in the broader phenomena of democratic backsliding and autocratization. This book is a significant contribution to the field, providing a comprehensive and compelling narrative of Bangladesh’s tumultuous political journey.

Postscript: This book review was completed before the unprecedented anti-government protests that peaked on August 5, forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India. With the political change in Bangladesh, Riaz’s book on autocratization and the Bangladesh case study becomes more pertinent as it examines former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s years in power that culminated in the mass popular protests leading to her removal. Riaz’s evidence-based analysis maps the trends that led to the democratic decline in Bangladesh. The democratic deficit and autocratization reached their peak with the recent brutalities in Bangladesh, the ouster of the government, and the ensuing clamour for justice and accountability.

*The views expressed in this review reflect those of the author and not the Government of Canada.

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Jawad Hussain Qureshi

The University of British Columbia, Vancouver