Some leaders and activists of certain political parties is increasingly displaying a worrying pattern of power abuse, with a mindset of ‘now it’s our turn.’ Since the fall of authoritarianism, this has manifested in widespread factionalism, extortion, illegal occupation, plundering of state resources, ‘trading’ over lawsuits, arrests, bail, party tags, and violence over spreading party influence, an ominous sign for the envisioned political settlement in the ‘New Bangladesh’. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) notes that now is the time for political parties to self-reflect on establishing internal democratic practices, ethics, and accountable political conduct. While reforms are publicly touted, the ongoing culture of dominance, illegal occupation, and extortion is undermining the public aspiration to build a democratic ‘New Bangladesh.’ Despite the opportunity for fundamental political change created by the fall of authoritarianism, the power-abusing ‘now it’s our turn’ mentality among some party leaders and activists is creating self-defeating barriers to the development of a healthy political culture free from criminalization.
In a statement today, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “Over the last year, following the fall of the authoritarian regime, the actions of some leaders and activists of the country’s most influential political parties have emerged as a reflection of the multi-faceted misuse of power and self-serving practices that characterized the fallen regime. In some instances, direct actions or even mutual collusion among power-seeking and influential party members have normalized these politically aggressive activities. Alarmingly, in many instances, even the fallen political forces remain passively involved in such collusive practices. Traditional partisan practices, illegal occupations, and the trading over political positions have intensified, and some local-level party clashes have even escalated to rare instances of strikes. Often, the assertion of demands has been accompanied by coercion, and the involvement of certain religiously motivated political groups, or excessively empowered isolated forces, under the guise of mob rule, has led to violations of the rights of minorities, women, indigenous and marginalized communities, including brutal attacks against efforts to establish women’s rights and assaults on traditional and cultural practices—horrible experiences that the nation has been forced to witness.”
On the other hand, highlighting the irresponsibility of certain leaders of the relevant political parties, their aggressive pursuit of self-interest, and the alarming gaps in internal accountability and control mechanisms, TIB’s Executive Director further stated, “Although some high-level warnings and a significant number of organizational measures have been taken within the parties, in practice, law enforcement agencies and the administration continue to fail and often play a supportive or protective role for these actors. At the same time, the parties have not adopted any clear strategies for prevention or corrective action. Rather, at the district, upazila, and union levels, many local leaders and activists have engaged in illegal occupation, extortion, and the expansion of political influence immediately following the fall of the authoritarian government, and the intensity of these activities continues to rise. By embracing the culture of ‘now it’s our turn,’ not only the political parties but also the government—particularly the administration and law enforcement agencies—have repeatedly failed to exercise control at the local level while, at the same time, inadvertently participating as collaborators. The resurgence of extortion and illegal occupation of transport terminals, mineral resources, bridges, markets, and water bodies also perpetuates the continuation of misrule reminiscent of past authoritarian regime. Even the new political parties that emerged from the anti-discrimination movement, which promised to represent good governance, transparency, and a corruption-free political culture, have seen some of their activists engage in extortion and various irregularities, effectively adopting the existing self-serving and corrupt political practices as their role model, thereby choosing a self-defeating path.”
He further stated, “Above all, in the aftermath of the fall of authoritarianism, the long-anticipated ‘new political arrangement’ risks being increasingly and visibly held hostage by the old, unhealthy political culture. Are the political parties and forces sending the message to the people of the country that, although they collectively carried out a bloody movement to bring down the authoritarian regime, they have no real interest in ending authoritarian practices, and, on the contrary, they intend to nurture and perpetuate these very practices?”
Dr. Zaman said, “Now is the time for political parties to face the mirror. By avoiding self-defeating political practices and learning from the core principles of the anti-authoritarian and anti-discrimination movements, political parties should view themselves as key institutions of democracy and foster a people-centered political culture through the development of democratic practices, accountability, integrity, and ethics within the party. If political parties do not ensure internal accountability, ethical practices, and democratic management processes, the disappointment of the people—including the martyrs, the injured, and those affected by the historic July movement—will deepen. To realize the dream of a ‘New Bangladesh,’ it is essential to pursue fundamental, self-reflective reform within political parties while also creating pathways to move away from a culture of misdeeds through mutual dialogue and cooperation. Otherwise, distinguishing the politics of a ‘New Bangladesh’ from the authoritarianism of the fallen regime will be impossible.”
