Arun K U M A R Goswami | Jagannath University, Dhaka (original) (raw)

Papers by Arun K U M A R Goswami

INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF DEMOCRACY IN BANGLADESH, 2019

Bangladesh's problems to consolidate her democratic achievements impelled me to undertake the stu... more Bangladesh's problems to consolidate her democratic achievements impelled me to undertake the study on Institutionalization of Democracy in Bangladesh. The book is based on my Ph.D. thesis which was accomplished during 1990-2001, specifically from the year of registration with the Ph.D. programme of the Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka in 1997. The supervisors and examiners of my Ph.D. thesis had suggested publishing it with some editing and modifications. I have been considering to doing the job for quite a while but any serious effort had to wait till 2017. It was Professor Dr. Mijanur Rahman, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of Jagannath University, from whom I finally got inspiration to undertake the exercise. I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my thesis supervisor Professor M. Sayefullah Bhuyan and co-supervisor Prof. Dr. M. Nazrul Islam. I should also like to acknowledge here my debt to Professor Dr. Baladas Ghosal, General Secretary, Society for Indian Ocean Studies, New Delhi and former Professor and Chair in South and Southeast Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India for writing the foreword of the book.
Since the historical moment of 1989, when the great divide of Berlin wall was abolished, I have been considering to undertake a research work on the strength and effectiveness of democracy for my beloved motherland, Bangladesh. After eight years of Bangladesh’s second democratic dispensation in 1990, the Ministry of Education, University Grants Commission, and Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka come ahead in 1998 to fulfill my desire to work on the theme, Institutionalization of democracy in Bangladesh. The task of conceptualizing “institutionalization of democracy” with a universally accepted view and present it in the context of newly democratizing country like Bangladesh had been very challenging. Because data, information and related other materials had been very scant. On the other hand, even the keenest observed could not forecast the ultimate outcome of the efforts that are being engaged on institutionalization process of democracy in Bangladesh. I had to work, therefore, under great handicaps.
In fact, Bangladesh’s efforts for independence was moved by her innate cravings for democracy. The problems were mostly “inexperienced political exercise” alongwith conspiracy of vested quarters. However, the liberation war of 1971 provided suitable stimulant in this respect. The victory of the journey for democracy that led the Great War of Liberation was dismantled and frustrated through the bloody coup d’etat in August 1975.
During the process of updating, editing and revision, the study was recast to reflect, as far as practicable, the changing perspectives of democratization in Bangladesh. The final version of the study vis-à-vis the book therefore had to undergo changes in order to accommodate the above mentioned changes.
This exercise was naturally time consuming as well as painstaking and in a way more difficult than preparing a new thesis altogether.
In finalizing the book, I would only say that, like the preparation of my Ph.D. thesis, the customs and practices of academic writing have been followed meticulously and during the period of continual transformation of the thesis into book and revision according to examiners’ comments and reviewers’ suggestions, efforts had always been made to ensure main focus on the process of institutionalizing democracy in Bangladesh. As the study had been undertaken to test the hypothesis borrowed from Samuel P. Huntington, continued efforts had been made to uphold its theoretical relevance. Besides, in support of the hypothesis, concepts of social mobilization and political participation have been borrowed from the works of Karl Deutsch and Robert Putnam to clarify the arguments of the study. Most of the data have been gathered from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics(BBS), Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC), Planning Commission of Bangladesh, and also from the interview taken from a very selected persons belong to middle class population, teachers, lawyers, businesspersons, students etc.
Nevertheless, the effort of transforming the thesis into a book has been successful for the valuable observations, comments and suggestions by five scholars, three examiners of my thesis and two reviewers for book. They have furnished written comments and suggestions. Many factual corrections were suggested by them. Besides, many well-wishers in two stages. Firstly, during the preparation and defence of the thesis. Secondly, after submission it for publication by the Jagannath University. I have taken all these comments and suggestions, whether made in writing or orally, into account in transforming the thesis into book. Many of these revisions would be made in the proof copy. But major revisions have been made in the light of update information that became available since I completed the thesis in 2000. Major revisions have been made in Chapter VII and in the concluding Chapter. I am grateful to all reviewers, critics and well-wishers who commented and suggested on the thesis and laid the foundation for the revision and transformation. However, I would still admit there could be inadvertent ‘errors’ in respect of time, place and events mentioned in the book. But I hope they did not impair the essentials of the analysis.
The world may not have ‘eagerly awaited’ the emergence of the book, but my mother, elder sister, wife, younger brother, daughter Tithi and son Rana and other family members of our family and friends, certainly did. However, for their interest in my studies and for cheerfully putting with my absence for unspecified and unlimited months and years, I wish to express my heartiest gratitude to all of them.

INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF DEMOCRACY IN BANGLADESH, 2019

Bangladesh's problems to consolidate her democratic achievements impelled me to undertake the stu... more Bangladesh's problems to consolidate her democratic achievements impelled me to undertake the study on Institutionalization of Democracy in Bangladesh. The book is based on my Ph.D. thesis which was accomplished during 1990-2001, specifically from the year of registration with the Ph.D. programme of the Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka in 1997. The supervisors and examiners of my Ph.D. thesis had suggested publishing it with some editing and modifications. I have been considering to doing the job for quite a while but any serious effort had to wait till 2017. It was Professor Dr. Mijanur Rahman, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of Jagannath University, from whom I finally got inspiration to undertake the exercise. I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my thesis supervisor Professor M. Sayefullah Bhuyan and co-supervisor Prof. Dr. M. Nazrul Islam. I should also like to acknowledge here my debt to Professor Dr. Baladas Ghosal, General Secretary, Society for Indian Ocean Studies, New Delhi and former Professor and Chair in South and Southeast Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India for writing the foreword of the book.
Since the historical moment of 1989, when the great divide of Berlin wall was abolished, I have been considering to undertake a research work on the strength and effectiveness of democracy for my beloved motherland, Bangladesh. After eight years of Bangladesh’s second democratic dispensation in 1990, the Ministry of Education, University Grants Commission, and Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka come ahead in 1998 to fulfill my desire to work on the theme, Institutionalization of democracy in Bangladesh. The task of conceptualizing “institutionalization of democracy” with a universally accepted view and present it in the context of newly democratizing country like Bangladesh had been very challenging. Because data, information and related other materials had been very scant. On the other hand, even the keenest observed could not forecast the ultimate outcome of the efforts that are being engaged on institutionalization process of democracy in Bangladesh. I had to work, therefore, under great handicaps.
In fact, Bangladesh’s efforts for independence was moved by her innate cravings for democracy. The problems were mostly “inexperienced political exercise” alongwith conspiracy of vested quarters. However, the liberation war of 1971 provided suitable stimulant in this respect. The victory of the journey for democracy that led the Great War of Liberation was dismantled and frustrated through the bloody coup d’etat in August 1975.
During the process of updating, editing and revision, the study was recast to reflect, as far as practicable, the changing perspectives of democratization in Bangladesh. The final version of the study vis-à-vis the book therefore had to undergo changes in order to accommodate the above mentioned changes.
This exercise was naturally time consuming as well as painstaking and in a way more difficult than preparing a new thesis altogether.
In finalizing the book, I would only say that, like the preparation of my Ph.D. thesis, the customs and practices of academic writing have been followed meticulously and during the period of continual transformation of the thesis into book and revision according to examiners’ comments and reviewers’ suggestions, efforts had always been made to ensure main focus on the process of institutionalizing democracy in Bangladesh. As the study had been undertaken to test the hypothesis borrowed from Samuel P. Huntington, continued efforts had been made to uphold its theoretical relevance. Besides, in support of the hypothesis, concepts of social mobilization and political participation have been borrowed from the works of Karl Deutsch and Robert Putnam to clarify the arguments of the study. Most of the data have been gathered from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics(BBS), Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC), Planning Commission of Bangladesh, and also from the interview taken from a very selected persons belong to middle class population, teachers, lawyers, businesspersons, students etc.
Nevertheless, the effort of transforming the thesis into a book has been successful for the valuable observations, comments and suggestions by five scholars, three examiners of my thesis and two reviewers for book. They have furnished written comments and suggestions. Many factual corrections were suggested by them. Besides, many well-wishers in two stages. Firstly, during the preparation and defence of the thesis. Secondly, after submission it for publication by the Jagannath University. I have taken all these comments and suggestions, whether made in writing or orally, into account in transforming the thesis into book. Many of these revisions would be made in the proof copy. But major revisions have been made in the light of update information that became available since I completed the thesis in 2000. Major revisions have been made in Chapter VII and in the concluding Chapter. I am grateful to all reviewers, critics and well-wishers who commented and suggested on the thesis and laid the foundation for the revision and transformation. However, I would still admit there could be inadvertent ‘errors’ in respect of time, place and events mentioned in the book. But I hope they did not impair the essentials of the analysis.
The world may not have ‘eagerly awaited’ the emergence of the book, but my mother, elder sister, wife, younger brother, daughter Tithi and son Rana and other family members of our family and friends, certainly did. However, for their interest in my studies and for cheerfully putting with my absence for unspecified and unlimited months and years, I wish to express my heartiest gratitude to all of them.