Distinguished Professor Ali Riaz has published a new book titled Pathways of Autocratization: The Tumultuous Journey of Bangladeshi Politics. It addresses one of contemporary global politics’ most important questions: How does a country regress from a democracy to an autocracy?
The book offers a novel framework for understanding the processes that erode democracy and lead to autocracy and explains a specific instance of democratic backsliding in Bangladesh: the world’s eighth most populous country. With probing analysis of events and trends of Bangladeshi politics, especially since 2009, the book contextualizes the country’s autocratization process within global trends and compares it with others that have trod a similar path in recent decades, including Bolivia, Cambodia, Hungary, Poland, the Philippines and Turkey.
The book discusses the implications of institutional changes, the role of pliant media, the contribution of ideology, and the conduct of international actors in the autocratization process while also mapping future trajectories for the country.
The book is published by Routledge in its “Routledge Focus” series.
