Distinguished Professor Ali Riaz presented at the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, on April 21. The presentation was titled, “How does a Country Autocratize? Exploration of the Case of Bangladesh.”
In his presentation, Riaz noted that existing literature on democratic backsliding and autocratization can be broadly divided into three strands: exploration of the causes, processes, and consequences of autocratization. While causes and consequences of autocratization have received significant attention, the processes of autocratization have not been explored adequately. Drawing on the available studies on the processes, Riaz argued that they have highlighted only the institutional aspects such as changes in the constitution, executive aggrandizement, strategic manipulation of elections, and controlling the judiciary. Riaz insist that three other factors contribute to the process: constructing an ideology to legitimize the autocracy, producing a pliant media environment, and examining the role of external forces.
This presentation examines the case of Bangladesh, which has witnessed a serious decay in democratic quality and experienced autocratization of the governance system since 2011. Two highly controversial elections in 2014 and 2018 have created a personalistic autocracy under Sheikh Hasina described in recent years by the V-Dem Institute as an ‘electoral autocracy.’ Riaz is currently serving as a visiting researcher at the V-Dem Institute on sabbatical leave from Illinois State University.
