Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, stated that groups which unite to dismantle an autocratic system eventually turn into each other’s enemies. He noted this dynamic causes repeated failures to institutionalize democracy in Bangladesh.
He made the remarks on Sunday, on the second day of the three-day Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026, organized by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka.
Mahfuz Anam stated: “In the past, instead of institutionalizing free and fair elections, we increasingly fell into conflict, competition and then destruction, and I think we failed because we really do not know how to run our country. We actually do not know what governance is. We really do not know how to bring together a people with all their strength, all their innovation, all their resilience and turn that source into national development.”
In Bangladesh, one reason for repeated failure to institutionalize the rebuilding of democracy is that the nation unites while dismantling a dictatorship, but becomes divided once that dictatorship is dismantled. Groups that work together to destroy the dictatorship subsequently become each other's enemies, leading to repeated failures in institutionalizing democratic rebuilding, according to the provided commentary.
Mahfuz Anam stated that Bangladesh possessed an almost endless capacity to fail to build democracy following the dismantling of autocratic systems.
“Unfortunately, we have an almost endless capacity that we cannot build democracy after dismantling autocracy,” the speaker noted, reflecting that Bangladesh was “born again” against a very brutal military dictatorship but failed to build a democratic state, leading to a military coup. Following the fall of Ershad, the country returned to democracy in 1991, raising hopes for a rebirth of democracy in Bangladesh supported by several elections held under a caretaker government.
“However, and in my view the reason is that in Bangladesh we have over-politicized every institution imaginable.”
He said: "Doctors are divided over which political party you belong to. They are divided in many other professions, including journalism. You have pro-BNP journalists, you have pro-Jamaat journalists. I mean, how can a journalist be pro-politics? I mean, you can have a personal preference and of course you are free to vote, but in a profession where credibility is your life responsibility, how can you publicly support a political party and still expect to enjoy credibility?"
Mahfuz Anam said excessive politicization had eroded the functioning of almost all institutions.
“So we have a system where excessive politicization in one way has eroded the functioning of almost all our institutions," the speaker stated, adding, "You really run a country through an efficient bureaucracy. We have been politicized. The police are always used as a partisan extension of your party. Muscle power and intelligence agencies are again used for political purposes.”
“So constitutional bodies such as the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Information Commission, these bodies which are considered constitutional bodies and are independently operated, are all politicized. So, to cut a long story short, the truth is that we are so good at destroying autocracy, but the sad reality is that we are so bad at building democratic institutions.”
Mahfuz Anam said the main problem was excessive politicization, which had caused the entire governance system to fail.
“So when a party is elected through the democratic process, we celebrate the expression of the people’s will. But very soon we realize that the outcome of that election result is transformed into political reality instead of public interest.”
Commenting on global politics, it was observed that while a degree of partisanship exists worldwide when parties such as the Labor Party in England or the Democrats and Republicans in the United States win power, turning an entire governance system into an extension of one's own party marks the beginning of a decline. According to the statement, one of the first consequences of this approach is corruption.
“One of its first consequences is nepotism and partisan favoritism,” the text states. It adds that “day after day, month after month and year after year, our entire governance system collapses.”
He said modern technology had made governance a science.
Declaring that "governance is a science" made possible by modern technology, an official stated that governance requires more than just good wishes and dreams. According to the official, technology can now translate those dreams into reality by establishing a highly efficient bureaucracy alongside an efficient and fair police force.
“And here I think Bangladesh now faces its biggest challenge, if we want to move forward,” stating that by definition Bangladesh is a country where governance is not easy due to a small land area, a huge population, and natural challenges. There is, however, “enormous potential if we can turn our human resources into a valuable productive asset, which we can do through technology, education and good governance.”
Why it matters
The analysis highlights systemic governance challenges and institutional politicization affecting democratic sustainability in Bangladesh.