The July mass uprising created significant aspirations and possibilities for democratic transformation and structural change of the state. However, over time, those possibilities are gradually diminishing. Nevertheless, it is now imperative to advance on the path of democratic transformation through institutional reforms.
This view was expressed by discussants at a roundtable meeting held at the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar in the capital on Monday afternoon. The meeting was jointly organised by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) and Prothom Alo under the title “How the democratic transformation of the state can take place.”
Some of the speakers at the roundtable said that democracy does not mean electoral democracy alone. If citizen representation is not ensured, there can be no sustainable democratic transformation. Therefore, direct democracy and electoral democracy must be combined.
Professor Ali Riaz participated in the roundtable discussion. At the beginning of his remarks, he said that his statement was personal and not made in his capacity as Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission or Head of the Constitutional Reform Commission.
Professor Riaz identified two key tasks in the current democratic transition. In his words, “The real task is to strengthen and make the institutions operational. The second is to try to build a collaborative collective force for long-term democratic transformation. I hardly see the possibility of doing this through the current political forces.”
The political science professor believes that if state institutions are not fixed now, a kind of chaos may arise in the future. According to him, institutional restructuring will not provide an immediate solution, but it will create potential.
Ali Riaz said that the way the institutions are currently functioning seems ineffective. These institutions need to be at least partially fixed. If politicians can be brought to a consensus, that would be some progress. For the rest, the emergence of a new political force is essential in the long term. Only through such a force will it be possible to engage in a sustained struggle for democratic transformation. Otherwise, this crisis will reappear after seven to ten years.
National Consensus Commission member Badiul Alam Majumder believes that legal, institutional, and structural reforms are necessary for true democratic transformation.
Badiul Alam Majumder, who also heads the Electoral Reform Commission, said that the country’s electoral system has been severely compromised by corrupt individuals. The political arena is deeply corrupt, with money playing a significant role. He believes that even for a “one-day democracy,” the electoral system must be rid of corrupt elements. For this, several far-reaching reforms are necessary.
Badiul Alam Majumder said that civil society is a path to democratic transition. Civil society must be vocal and organised.
How is unity between two sides possible?
Professor Anu Muhammad expressed support for Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’ ‘Three Zeros’ theory. However, reflecting on the setbacks during Yunus’ tenure as head of the interim government, he remarked, “He needs to take note of the reverse journey of his Three Zeros theory during his tenure as Chief Adviser. We want the Three Zeros theory to move forward.”
Anu Muhammad noted that over the past 10 months, unemployment has increased by the hundreds of thousands due to factory closures. Additionally, poverty has risen by 2.5 to 3 million.
He emphasised that deep-rooted class, gender, religious, and ethnic inequalities persist in the country. For any meaningful progress toward democracy, these structural inequalities must be brought to the forefront.
Addressing current debates about the future of democracy, he pointed out that terms like right, left, moderate, Islamist, and secular are often used. One side is engaged in politics that reinforces discrimination, while the other is trying to reduce it. He questioned how unity between these two fundamentally opposed forces is possible.
Anu Muhammad stressed that democratic forces must be expanded. He recalled that the mass uprising gave rise to a dream of a discrimination-free Bangladesh. Those who agree to work toward that vision—both in principle and in practice—are the true democratic forces.
We must think beyond electoral democracy
In his opening remarks, BIGD Executive Director Imran Matin said the country is facing an unprecedented opportunity, but that window is rapidly closing. “We must move quickly and decisively while time is still on our side,” he urged.
While acknowledging the importance of electoral democracy, Imran Matin stressed the need to think beyond it. He emphasised the importance of building countervailing citizen power. Reform, he argued, is not only a matter of institutional change—it is essentially about transforming the relationship between the state and society.
Mirza M Hasan, senior researcher at BIGD, presented the concept paper at the roundtable. He warned that even achieving the ideal of representative democracy may yield limited results. Such systems often foster factionalism, which deepens divisions among people. “We need to rethink our assumptions,” he said, adding that there are viable alternatives beyond representative democracy.
Mentioning several alternatives like direct democracy (where people directly participate in policy making and enacting laws), deliberative democracy (where people’s debate is given importance in making decisions) and popular assembly, Mirza Hasan said a sustainable democracy could be found when all those systems will be synthesized. Nowadays a general concept has been created that election means democracy.
People must get out of this concept otherwise there will be no freedom, he stressed.
Stating that a synthesis of direct and indirect democracy is needed, Mirza Hasan said citizen representative is required, not representative of citizens. A citizen will make decisions entering the state mechanism.
Mirza Hasan further said many people have pointed out limitations of the system he has been talking about while many others thought this was not practical. But this is being practiced in many countries of Latin America and Europe. Some are becoming successful while some are failing. But they have advanced a lot in many sectors. Bangladesh also has to enter this process, he insisted.
Speaking at the roundtable, Professor Asif Mohammad Shahan of Department of Development Studies at Dhaka University said changing the constitution and the laws will not suffice. We have to check whether we have institutions to implement those. Unless those are not made functioning properly, amending laws will not reflect the people’s will.
Asif M Shahan further pointed out that the constitutional institutions will need to fulfill a few conditions to function properly. Those institutions have to be independent and free from the influences of political leaders. It must be found out how those are connected to the people.
Must remain hopeful
Women affairs reform commission member Maheen Sultan Khan said after the mass uprising, she thought a massive opportunity had come, there will be structural changes, state and society will be viewed from different angles.
Pointing out that women are not given the status of a citizen, she further said there should be representation of all classes, including female representation, if the upper house of the parliament is constituted.
Public Service Commission (PSC) member Chowdhury Saima Ferdous said the institutions have fallen apart. In many cases, many commissions cannot take measures independently. This is a challenge in the practice of democracy. It is not possible to establish real democracy without empowering the public.
According to her, freedom of speech does not mean saying anything or whatever you like. Currently, people are being harassed, especially online, in the name of freedom of expression, “mobs” are being created.
The Hunger Project’s country director Prashanta Tripura expressed that the transition of the state cannot be achieved without the democratic transition of society.
Comparing the current situation with a “pendulum”, he suggested taking smaller steps gradually instead of thinking when the reforms will be achieved, how the remaining time could be used, time is flying or so on.
Asking whether the nation is “fit” for democracy, former president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Fazlul Hoque said it will not be a practical thought to aspire to achieve in 14 months what could not be achieved in 54 years.
He also suggested taking steps gradually.
Fazlul Haque pointed out that the election commission, PSC and other constitutional institutions are said to be independent but those institutions were not seen applying their power independently in the recent past.
He talked about considering alter in the process of appointment at the constitutional institutions to change this situation.
Thanking all the participants, Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman said such discussions for democratic transition of the state and necessity of reforms in various sectors will continue. Maybe it will not be right to hope for immediate changes but people must remain hopeful. This is because this society, the state, belongs to everyone.
He stressed on taking steps gradually.
Mentioning that the role of civil society is important on the path of democracy, Matiur Rahman recalled his experiences from the 60’s.
He said the citizens played very important roles in the society. There was unity among the students, and personalities from diverse fields of culture, literature and art, and there was unity, though a little, among the workers and farmers.
Matiur Rahman remarked that independent citizens’ and organisations’ movement is important to highlight the state of various sectors.
Prothom Alo’s assistant editor Firoz Choudhury moderated the roundtable.