Introduction
Political culture in a society is always seemed to
have been related with political development
and political underdevelopment. It is the sum of
the fundamental values, sentiment and
knowledge that give form and substance to
political process (Pye, 1995). A well-functioning
and vibrant political culture contributes to the
uniform political development of a society while
the absence of this is responsible for the rise of
underdevelopment in political sphere in the
society.
Definition of political culture:
Political culture is the view, aspirations, and
beliefs of most citizens of the country towards
political systems. It can be said to be a
psychological matter of the people. It is also the
type of people’s mentality in relation to political
activities, not political activities itself.
The political culture of Bangladesh is parochial:
Politicization of Bureaucracy:
Politicization of bureaucracy started during the
Pakistan period, especially in the military
regime. However, the trends acquired greater
intensity in post-liberation period and posed a
serious problem during last decade or so
(Mazumder, 2010). Politicization of the
administration has been one of the most
negative outcomes of the democratic system
that destroy both the moral and professional
foundation of the civil services. In 90s
Bangladesh‘s civil administration was classified
as ‗AntiMancha‘ and ‗Pro-Mancha‘ (Khasru,
2010). Recruitment, quicker promotions,
lucrative posting, overlooking corruptions and
inefficiency became increasingly influenced by
party loyalty.
Politics of Violence and the Annihilation of
Political Leaderships
The politics of violence and the annihilation of
political leaderships have become an
omnipotent part of political culture in
Bangladesh. The exact to number of political
killings since independence could not be
ascertained. The government estimated the
figure to be over 6000 including country‘s
Presidents, party leaderships, MPs and many
others from different sectors.
Intolerance to Oppositions’ Views
Tolerance between the leaderships, parties,
constituent members is the prerequisite and
essence of democracy. Unfortunately, the
concept is seems to be disappearing in our
country particularly for both of them: those in
power and those in opposition. The party in
power usually takes advantage of state power to
suppress opposition activities. Opposition to
ruling government policies are often portrayed
as anti-state treasonable activities.
Culture of Character Assassination
Democracy allows us to express our views, belief
and philosophy, but does not permit to behave
in an uncivilized way or resort unruly behavior.
Street language has always been crude, but of
course it will not in case of parliament. To differ
is a democratic right but one should not be
abusive. But it became more common in our
recent political culture.
Practice of Boycotting the Parliament
Absence of opposition from the parliament is
our old culture. The culture was born in the 5th
parliament when the then opposition AL started
boycotting parliament to realize their demand.
The then AL lawmakers boycotted 135 out of
400 sittings of the 5th parliament. The boycott
culture got a fresh impetus when the then
opposition BNP started boycotting parliament.
They boycotted 163 out of 382 sittings of the 7th
parliament.
Politics of Renaming the Established
Institutions
Naming of institution to commemorate persons
for their contribution to society is a well-
accepted practice. In every society, a few norms
are practiced in naming institutions of national
importance, especially when dealing with
politicians who are still at the helm (Khan, H.
Mozammel 2010) But in Bangladesh we
observed how the major two parties are
engaged in the game of renaming the structure
and institutions given by the previous
government.
Corruptions Committed by Politicians
Corruption at all levels of politics is now a grave
public concern that needs to address as a matter
of urgency. In 2001 the Transparency
International (TIB)placed Bangladesh at the top
of 91 countries indulging in corruption (Dainik
Sangbad, June 28, 2001) According to the same
agency, Bangladesh has topped the lists of
corrupted countries consecutively for the fifth
time (Prothom Alo, Oct18, 2005).
Conclusion:
The infrastructure of democracy consists of free
media, rule of law, transparency of all
government decisions, accountability of
government to the people and parliament,
independent judiciary, gender equity and
vibrant civil society. Peaceful co-existence,
tolerance and mutual respect for each other are
the basic elements of democracy (Rashid,
2010).The destructive political culture of
Bangladesh is a serious hindrance to the
strengthening and consolidation of democracy.
