Politics
Ali Riaz says institutional independence must underpin democratic reform
Political scientist Ali Riaz says elections alone cannot secure a durable democratic transition. Speaking in Dhaka, he called for independent institutions and criticised politicisation of the administration. His assessment is an attributed argument about reform, including criticism of the bureaucracy, rather than a finding adopted by Bengal Brief.
Political scientist Ali Riaz has argued that Bangladesh needs independent institutions and changes to the concentration of executive power if its latest political transition is to produce lasting democracy.
Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation in Dhaka on 4 October, the Illinois State University professor said an election was only one part of the process. He highlighted the independence of the Election Commission, judiciary, Anti-Corruption Commission and civil administration.
Riaz criticised the politicisation of state institutions under successive governments and accused parts of the bureaucracy of resisting reform. He acknowledged that his characterisation of the administration was a broad generalisation.
His assessment drew on his experience leading the Constitution Reform Commission and working in the National Consensus Commission. The criticism remains his stated view, not an independently established description of every civil servant.
He said it was too early to conclude that Bangladesh could not break its cycle of failed transitions, but made his optimism conditional on political actors’ willingness to change the system.
The argument places the durability of reform beyond the electoral calendar: in his account, institutions must be able to exercise their responsibilities independently after the votes have been counted.
