Bureaucracy opposed to reforms, serves political masters: Ali Riaz
The Constitution Reform Commission chief says politicisation of state institutions, particularly since 1991, lies at the heart of Bangladesh’s political crisis.
Bangladesh's bureaucracy is opposed to reforms and prefers serving political masters, said Ali Riaz, who served as the head of the interim government's Constitution Reform Commission.
The distinguished professor of politics and government at Illinois State University in the United States also said the country's current crisis stems primarily from the politicisation of state institutions since 1991, rather than from the events of 1947 or 1971.
He made the remarks today (4 October) on the second day of the Bay of Bengal Conversation at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
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Explaining what he considers the main causes of Bangladesh's crisis, Riaz identified politicisation, particularly under successive governments since 1991, as a key factor.
"After 2009, it simply became an instrument of one party," he said, adding that the problem should not be attributed to the events of 1947 or 1971.
"This is politicisation, both by the ruling party and by bureaucrats who are willing to operate under political masters," he said.
Describing the bureaucracy as "opposed to reform", Riaz said he reached this conclusion after working with government officials for 16 months, including around nine months during the reform process.
"Even after the July Uprising and the people's complete rejection of the old system, I saw no willingness among them to change," he said.
He alleged that bureaucrats had created various obstacles to prevent reforms.
"First, they are opposed to reform. Second, rather than acting as a bureaucracy, they prefer serving political masters as political actors," he said, while acknowledging that he was making a broad generalisation.
Asked whether Bangladesh could break its cycle of political instability, Riaz said it was too early to conclude that the country could not do so.
"I am optimistic," he said, adding that he would not have headed the Constitution Reform Commission or spent nine months working with political parties at the National Consensus Commission if he did not believe change was possible.
However, he said the outcome would depend on whether political forces were willing to make the necessary changes.
Riaz also described the July Uprising as a rejection of the country's political parties, saying the parties later "recaptured the space".
Referring to the referendum, he said around five crore people voted in favour and two crore against, and argued that the message from voters needed to be understood.
Riaz also criticised the concentration of executive power under the existing constitutional structure.
"Under the way Bangladesh's Constitution is written, all power is concentrated in the hands of the prime minister," he said, adding that appointments to various state institutions ultimately remain under the prime minister's control.
He argued that the excessive influence of the executive over the judiciary and other state institutions needs to be addressed to ensure a democratic transition and resolve broader questions concerning the republic.
