Editorial
Bangladesh on EIU democracy index
Our placing must spur us into a deepening of pluralism
We in Bangladesh cannot but feel happy at the placing the country has been given on the Economist Intelligence Unit's Index of Democracy 2010. We have advanced to 83rd position from our earlier placing at 91st (which was back in 2008). We certainly feel encouraged but at the same time we might as well remind ourselves that this new report comes against a background of elected, democratic government in Bangladesh at this point of time. The 2008 report was prepared in light of the country being under emergency caretaker rule. Naturally, therefore, the general feeling is that in the current democratic dispensation we should be finding and indeed do find our state of politics at an elevated level. That said, it must also be noted that the EIU survey is a comparative study which even includes countries where not even a semblance of democracy is to be spotted. Even so, it feels good to know that we are better off than many other nations that profess to practise democracy.
In this context, it must be said that despite the EIU rating, we certainly cannot rest on our laurels. Indeed, there is little room for complacency here given the fact that there are yet wide gaps which need filling in if democracy is to be a substantive affair for Bangladesh. While the state of democratic governance here may not exactly be in a parlous state, there are still areas where sufficiently more transparency and accountability are called for. We cannot overlook the truth that parliament remains pretty dysfunctional owing to the opposition boycott of it. Adversarial politics has prevented a full, constructive debate on core issues in the Jatiyo Sangsad. Besides, the state of law and order, especially in relation to such matters as extra-judicial killings and disappearances (about which this newspaper has consistently commented) leaves a whole lot to be desired. Where strengthening the structure of democracy is concerned, the issue of devolution through setting up a strong local government system is yet to be in place. All these and other concerns are not, however, any indication that democracy in Bangladesh is not on track. It is. It only has to dig deeper roots.
So what the EIU findings should now be helping us do is egg us further toward a consolidation of pluralism in national politics. Our political classes and policy makers should be taking a long, hard look at the state of the nation today through re-evaluating the state of governance and the functioning of the institutions which underpin democracy. Our history bears proof that despite the periodic onslaughts made on our democratic aspirations, we have had the resilience to come back for a renewed struggle in defence of democracy. There is surely the potential in us to give democracy a deeper meaning and state of being. What we are in huge need of, however, is political will among our leaders, a fair degree of national consensus on core issues of collective interest and a bipartisan approach to legislation and policy-making in order to convince us that government by the consent of the governed is safe, secure and able to ward off any challenges to it.
The EIU's Index of Democracy 2010, let us say once more, is encouraging for the country. Let it now be a spur for Bangladesh's politicians and others, indeed for citizens across the board, to drive the nation's democracy train a good many, and more, cheering miles ahead.
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