Session 2: STATE, SOCIETY, POLITICS

Monday, Dec 6, 2021 | 8:00pm – 9:45pm | Bangladesh Time (GMT+6)

Dr Arild Engelsen Ruud
Professor, South Asia Studies, University of Oslo

Paper Title – State-making, Violence, and Political Muscle: Bangladesh as Polycratic State

Abstract:

The paper traces phases in forms of political violence in Bangladesh from Independence in 1971 till today. The material focuses on Barisal in the south of the country. The paper suggests four phases, viz. 1. Violent political opposition; 2. Cooptation; 3. Violence as a tool of political rivalry; and 4. Violence and overlapping authorities. The paper argues that violence has been harnessed in ways that have significantly contributed to the making of Bangladesh as a unitary state while also influencing the state’s coherence. In particular, it is argued that the authority of local political leaders in collaboration with the increasingly strong state apparatus has created a situation of polyarchy, of a severality of overlapping political authorities.