Bangladesh always had a revolutionary spirit, the one that has always baffled the West, being the first country in the world that rose in solidarity to create a nation state - unlike the Westphalian model of Europe - on the ground of language and not on territorial claims or religious identity.  In 1971 when the Bangladesh Liberation War was fought, the world watched, and by next year over fifty countries recognized the South Asian nation as the "golden land' with flowing rivers. The student-led revolt and mass protests have left the world with a mixed bag of sentiments, some even questioning the unlawful nature of the uprising at the cost of addressing the deep-seated problems gripping the nation such as terrorism and extremism, class divide, economic instability, social exclusion and outward migration. 

In the Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf discussed the corrupting nature of power. "There Are Many Powers In This World, Both For Good And For Evil. Some Are Greater…Some Not Yet Been Tested." At several levels concerns are raised about what led to the debacle of democracy, and collapse of a rules-based order. Was it a plot hatched by the United States, Pakistan, China or the conceited power of Sheikh Hasina that compromised social justice and political stability? Bangladesh's recovery from this turbulent phase will not be a cakewalk; it will be stormy and needs resilience.

Bangladesh is seeking to reform its domestic polity even while speculating ‘who will emerge as the next democratic leader of the nation’. When Muhammad Yunus mentions Bangladesh has experienced the "taste of democracy" one does hypothesize what is the 'Idea of Democracy' that Bangladeshis have in mind. In contemporary South Asia, the Bangladesh protests have undermined political institutions under the pretext of ‘freedom from autocracy". Bangladesh had not yet advanced to a civic political culture and the defiant populism recently has only distanced its chances for establishing a mature and confident democracy. 

Youth looking for reforms

Professor Yunus said that the revolutionary youths in Bangladesh are looking for reforms. However the question arises whether the reforms are to be radical ones or old wine in new packaging. The idea of a poverty-free Bangladesh is a phenomenal thought but will not be child’s play in the current state of social discord and political instability.  Corruption and internal conflicts plague the nation. The growth has slowed down to 5-6% GDP.  Group interest and factionalism has divided Bangladesh. In the absence of social order, the cleavages between Muslims and Hindus, youth and elderly, military and civilians, tribal and non-tribal will amplify. Bangladesh has already been persecuting the hill tribes for the past many years - the Chakma and Hajong who have become refugees in India. Social integration has been negligible in Bangladesh and more so social mobility.  Stability needs to be accelerated, along with a vigorous foreign policy and dynamic development plan in which the riverine country will need valuable assistance from India.

Lessons from Bangladesh

The upsurge of Bangladesh's youth and taking the country by siege has been a disturbing development for South Asia and has democracy believers worried. Pippa Norris in her seminal work titled Young People & Political Activism: From the Politics of Loyalties to the Politics of Choice mentions that many of the techniques used by cause-oriented activists are not particularly novel, even though suitable for addressing specific issues. The country witnessed the downfall not just of an insensitive ruling government beginning with an unfair quota system but also of representative democracy, however flawed. The lesson from the Bangladesh protests reaffirm the fact that governments and their agencies should handle grievances of citizens promptly, with sincerity and fairness, or retributive justice will follow that is unhealthy for democracy. Currently, it is imperative for internal peace along with cultural safety to be restored in Bangladesh, or the nation will drift miles away from democracy.

Need of the hour

Positive peace as Galtung enumerates must top the agenda of the Yunus-led caretaker government as in its absence Bangladesh would never be able to be rid of Wahhabism and endemic violence. While the state debates secularism and fundamentalism, the caretakers must not allow Bangladesh to be converted into a failed state with patronage system, cronyism and increase of criminal violence. Unless internal peace is achieved, foreign policy decisions remain lopsided.  The current leadership should look at strategic partnerships and commitment to shared responsibility to stabilize the region.  

The need of the hour is for Muhammad Yunus to raise the bar on equity and development rather than acting like a politician. To enhance state potential, there is a need to maximize potential and capability of people, utilize their energy and fervor, and showcase confident and empathetic leadership. In the aftermath of a revolution, economic recovery and political clarity should be topping the state agenda in Bangladesh.

(The author is a Senior Assistant Professor, Political Science Programme, Amity University and Academic Stand Against Poverty (ASAP) Fellow of Global Justice programme. Views are personal. He can be contacted at anna.nath. jnu@gmail.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanathganguly/ )