Consolidating Democracy without Trust: Bangladesh's Breakdown of Consensus in 2007

Abstract

This paper makes a departure from the dominant formalistic approach to ‘democratic consolidation’ to explore a range of issues, especially mutual distrust and misperception, to analyse why Bangladesh's quest for democracy remains elusive. By taking a closer look at the events that led to the collapse of democracy in 2007, it provides new insights into the failure of relevant political actors to reconcile their personal and political differences in order to give democracy a chance to take root in the country's seemingly dysfunctional political landscape. It suggests that the emergence of what can be called the politics of distrust was a major factor in the breakdown of democracy in 2007. Moving the debate beyond the practice of holding free and fair elections on a regular basis, it is argued that Bangladesh's prospect for fostering a democratic political culture depends on the ability of rival political actors to make concerted efforts to build credible, well-functioning legal and political institutions that cultivate a culture of trust not only among political parties but also between the democratic state and the ordinary citizens.