Report submitted to the United States Agency for International Development Democracy and Governance Strategic Assessment of Bangladesh Under the Analytical Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC), Contract No. AEP-I-00-99-00041-00, Core Task Order September 2004 (Corrected October 2004) Submitted to: USAID/Bangladesh Submitted by: ARD, Inc. 159 Bank Street, Suite 300 Burlington, Vermont 05401 Tel: (802) 658-3890 Fax: (802) 658-4247 Acknowledgements The ARD assessment team was composed of two US-based political scientists, Harry Blair (team leader) and Robert Charlick, Rezaul Haque (USAID/Bangladesh), and two Bangladeshi experts, Manzoor Hasan Nazmul Kalimullah. The broad in-country experience and expertise of the Bangladeshi team members has greatly enriched the report. In addition, Saiful Islam (Shameem), who served as the team’s interpreter, was of great assistance in making our task a smoother one. We also called upon the USAID Mission’s Democracy, Governance and Education Office, which was most generous in providing both substantive and procedural guidance throughout our work. Carol Horning, Director of the Office of Democracy, Governance and Education, Rezaul Haque, the DG team leader (who also served as a team member with us), Nishat Chowdhury, the Human Rights Advisor, and Nazrul Islam, Democracy Program Specialist, all deserve much thanks for getting us launched and through our tasks. While we were in Bangladesh, Tye Ferrell came on temporary assignment from USAID/Washington to provide support during the hiatus between her mid-June departure and the arrival of her successor at the end of the summer. His assistance is also much appreciated. Leaders of USAID’s three principal civil society implementing partners gave us all we could have asked for in assistance, insight and analysis of both their own program activities and the general civil society scene in Bangladesh. In particular, we are most appreciative of the support given us by ARD’s Local Government Initiative program, which allowed us to use their facilities, infrastructural support and deep expertise in our work. William Cartier, Zarina Rahman Khan, Indeok Oak, Jamil Ahmed, Kaiser Ahmed, and most especially Kaneez Fatema all went out of their way to assist us. None of these generous people bear any accountability for our interpretations, conclusions or recommendations. Nor does this report in any way represent any official viewpoint or policy of the United States Agency for International Development. All responsibility for the report and whatever errors or misinterpretations it may contain belongs with the assessment team. Democracy and Governance Strategic Assessment of Bangladesh i Table of Contents Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................ i Acronyms ..................................................................................................................................... iii Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... v Introduction ...................................................................................................................................1 1.0 Defining the Democratic Governance Problems ..................................................................4 1.1 Consensus ..............................................................................................................................4 1.2 Rule of Law .............................................................................................................................5 1.3 Competition.............................................................................................................................6 1.4 Inclusion..................................................................................................................................8 1.5 Good Governance.................................................................................................................10 1.6 Summary...............................................................................................................................11 2.0 Key Actors..........................................................................................................................13 2.1 Ruling Party...........................................................................................................................13 2.2 The Military............................................................................................................................16 2.3 Bureaucracy..........................................................................................................................16 2.4 Caretaker Government..........................................................................................................17 2.5 NGOs and Civil Society.........................................................................................................17 2.6 Opposition Parties.................................................................................................................20 2.7 Higher Judiciary ....................................................................................................................20 2.8 Media ....................................................................................................................................21 2.9 Summary...............................................................................................................................22 3.0 Arenas and Institutions.......................................................................................................23 3.1 Governance...........................................................................................................................24 3.2 Legal .....................................................................................................................................24 3.3 Competition...........................................................................................................................25 3.4 Civil Society...........................................................................................................................25 3.5 Extralegal ..............................................................................................................................26 3.6 Summary...............................................................................................................................27 4.0 Recommendations .............................................................................................................29 4.1 The Electoral System (Priority 1)...........................................................................................29 4.2 NGO/Civil Society Strategic Assessment: A Modest New Initiative (Priority 2) 33 4.3 Local Governance (Priority 3) 34 4.4 Women's and Children's Human Rights (Priority 4) 35 4.5 Summary 36 Annex A: Works Consulted .........................................................................................................37 Annex B: Persons and Organizations Contacted........................................................................43 Annex C: Note on Political Violence and Corruption...................................................................50 Annex D: Media ..........................................................................................................................54 Annex E: Government/Civil Society Relations (note on the FBCCI case) ..................................55 Annex F: Capsule Biographies of the Assessment Team...........................................................56 Annex G: Statement of Work (with two annexes) .......................................................................57 Democracy and Governance Strategic Assessment of Bangladesh ii Acronyms ADAB Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh ADB Asian Development Bank ADR alternative dispute resolution AED Academy for Educational Development AL Awami League ARD Associates in Rural Development BDB Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh BELA Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association BLAST Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party BNPS Bangladesh Nari Progati Shangha BNWLA Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association BRAC Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee CAMPE Campaign for Popular Education CCHRB Coordinating Council for Human Rights in Bangladesh CDS Centre for Development Studies CIDA Canadian International Development Agency CPD Centre for Policy Dialogue CSO Civil society organization CWFD Concerned Women for Family Development DCHA Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Bureau, USAID DFID Department for International Development [UK] DG Democracy and Governance EU European Union FBCCI Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry FEMA Fair Election Monitoring Alliance GOB Government of Bangladesh GSS Gonohahajjo Sangstha HDI Human Development Index IRI International Republican Institute IVS International Voluntary Service JANIPOP Jatiya Nirbachan Parjabekkhon Parishad (National Election Observation Council) JP Jatiyo Party KAP Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice [survey by ARD] LGI Local Government Initiative LGRD&C [Ministry of] Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives MAB Municipal Association of Bangladesh MP Member of Parliament NDI National Democratic Institute NGO Non-governmental organization