Does Colonial Rule Matter for Governance? A Study in the Context of Bureaucracy in Bangladesh

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to analyze the history of colonial rule and its impact on postcolonial bureaucracy and governance in Bangladesh. The paper is qualitative in nature and based on secondary sources of data and information. The major findings of this paper are: the structure of bureaucracy is inherited from the colonial rule. This legacy of colonial rule has impeded the postcolonial reform efforts. As an adverse effect of colonial rule politicization of administration and civil-military elitism has coexisted in bureaucracy that relaxes the accountability of administration. As a result, dominating bureaucratic role exhibits with rampant corruption in Bangladeshi governance.