Political Culture and Institution-Building Impacting Civil–Military Relations (CMR) in Bangladesh

Abstract

The Bangladeshi political culture is highly confrontational and, on top of that, the society is deeply divided along political lines. Such a culture is, presumably, impacting governance, professionalism, and institution-building in Bangladesh. Institutions are decaying, rather than consolidating, as there is, reportedly, political interference by the ruling political masters. Institutions are seen to be a great check on the excesses of the executive but that may not be happening. Bureaucracy, police, and lower judiciary, as cases in point, are seemingly beleaguered by political interference. Even the parliament appears handicapped because of inherent systemic constraints. The military is presumably not interfered with, at least, in its professional domain. However, there is a mix of objective and subjective controls exercised on the military, depending on the level. This may presumably impact the professionalism and loyalty—depending on the circumstances—of the commanders of the military at the strategic and operational levels. This chapter attempts to explore such a possibility and its consequences.