Soja Kotha desk report
Prominent Bangladeshi political scientist Ali Riaz’s new book ‘Missing Democracy: The Pathway to Authoritarianism and the Future of Bangladesh’ has been published.
The book by Distinguished Professor Riaz of the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University has thirteen chapters. These are – from fragile democracy to authoritarianism; The global crisis of democracy; ‘How does democracy die?’ What the new authoritarians do- control of information and freedom of the media; New type of governance – hybrid regime; The aspiration of the people of Bangladesh for democracy; The beginning and decline of democracy in Bangladesh; The end of democracy in Bangladesh; ‘I don’t know’- a new dimension to the culture of fear; Middle class – for democracy, against democracy; Change of political settlement; India: the catalyst for backwardness; Where is the world going? Which way is Bangladesh?
This book discusses the contemporary politics of Bangladesh, especially the democratic system and elections in Bangladesh after 1991. The book considers the recent decline of democracy in Bangladesh in the context of the situation of democracy around the world. The author further discusses the role of India in the domestic politics of Bangladesh in this book.
In addition to contextualize the backsliding of democracy in Bangladesh in the global context, the author has tried to analyze what kind of steps have created this situation, what forces and elements have played a role in this. Professor
Ali Riaz said, “This book is not just about knowing what has happened, it is also about the future of the crisis and what we need to do in the future.” He hopes that this book will help understand of the current political situation in Bangladesh, the nature of governance and the future direction of the state.
Ali Riaz, a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and the President of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies, is well-known at home and abroad as a prominent analyst on Bangladeshi politics. The book is published by Prothoma.
