The South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance in collaboration with the Private University Teachers鈥� Association of Bangladesh hosted a national seminar titled Democracy in Bangladesh: Crisis and Pathways Forward at the Syndicate Hall of North South University in Dhaka o Monday.
The session was moderated by NSU political science and sociology professor and president of PUTAB Md Taufiqul Islam Mithil, said a press release.
The event brought together a distinguished panel of academics, political leaders and civil society members who engaged in a critical discussion on the current state of democracy in Bangladesh.
Among the participants were Professor Sk Tawfique M Haque, director of SIPG; Professor Mahbubur Rahman, chair of the department of history and philosophy, NSU; Shibli Ahmed Khan, professor of management at AIUB and secretary of PUTAB; Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon; Professor M Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University; Professor ABM Obaidul Islam, vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Open University; Professor Md Nurul Islam, pro-VC of the National University; and Bobby Hajjaj, chairman of the Nationalist Democratic Movement and senior lecturer at NSU.
In addition, Mir Mustafizr Rahman, father of July victim Mir Mugdho, and Kabir Hossain, father of July victim Jabir Ibrahim, were present at the discussion.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor Mahbubur Rahman, who critically examined the applicability of western democratic models in the Bangladeshi context.
He highlighted the cyclical nature of democracy and authoritarianism in Bangladesh鈥檚 post-liberation political history and questioned whether liberal democracy鈥攐ften modelled on western experiences鈥攁dequately addresses the country鈥檚 unique structural challenges.
Referencing democratic theorists like Robert Dahl, Schmitter, and Karl, he pointed to institutional constraints such as Article 70 of the constitution and the concentration of executive power as major hurdles.
He concluded by reiterating the importance of citizen resistance against autocratic tendencies and emphasised the necessity of reclaiming democratic ideals rooted in the country鈥檚 own political history.
Chief guest Abdul Moyeen Khan, member of the standing committee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, remarked that while democracy is not a perfect system, it remains the best mechanism to uphold justice and protect people鈥檚 rights.
Reflecting on the day鈥檚 discussions, he emphasised that democracy is not bound by geography and cannot be distorted in the name of local context to justify authoritarianism. 鈥淭rue democracy,鈥� he said, 鈥渞espects diversity of thought and voice.鈥� He warned that the concentration of power, erosion of institutional balance, and suppression of truth are serious threats to democratic values.
Special guest advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, BNP senior joint secretary general, stated, 鈥楧emocracy is not merely about institutions鈥攊t is about internalising values and exercising restraint. History provides us with powerful contrasts. Napoleon was an admirer of George Washington and even kept his portrait in his chamber. Yet, when offered imperial power, Washington humbly declined and stepped down after two terms, strengthening the spirit of republican democracy. In contrast, Napoleon crowned himself emperor, ultimately betraying the revolution he helped lead.鈥�
In his closing remarks, Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, NSU VC, emphasised the importance of open dialogue between academia and policymakers to address democratic challenges and reaffirmed the university鈥檚 commitment to civic engagement, ethical governance, and evidence-based policy discourse.
