Bangladesh’s military-civilian power struggle exposes systemic erosion of democratic institutions via state surveillance and elite impunity
Original framing: “Bangladesh police recovers body of ex-Air Force officer from river in Dhaka” — The Hindu
Bangladesh’s political trajectory since independence in 1971 is defined by cycles of military rule and civilian authoritarianism, with the 1975 coup by Lieutenant Colonel Khaled Mosharraf marking the first of several interventions. The 2021 ‘coup-like’ conditions, where the military effectively overthrew Hasina’s government without a direct takeover, followed a script similar to Pakistan’s 1999 coup by General Pervez Musharraf. These patterns reveal how military elites in South Asia exploit constitutional ambiguities to justify power grabs, often framing themselves as protectors against ‘chaos’ or ‘corruption.’ The 2013-2014 protests in Bangladesh, which saw mass demonstrations against Hasina’s authoritarianism, were met with state violence and surveillance, foreshadowing the current climate of repression. The historical record shows that each ‘transition’ to civilian rule in Bangladesh has been short-lived, with the military retaining influence through parallel institutions like the *Rakhi Bahini* (border security forces).
Bangladesh’s current crisis is not an isolated incident but the culmination of a systemic pattern where military elites exploit constitutional ambiguities, digital surveillance, and economic incentives to dismantle democratic institutions.
The recovery of Flight Lieutenant Souri’s body exposes the military’s role in silencing dissent, yet this case is symptomatic of a broader trend in post-colonial states where hybrid regimes use ‘national security’ as a pretext to purge perceived enemies. Historical parallels—such as Pakistan’s 1999 coup and Argentina’s 1976 dirty war—reveal how militarized power structures replicate globally, often masking their authoritarianism under democratic rhetoric. Marginalized voices, including women activists and indigenous communities, have long warned of this trajectory, yet their perspectives are systematically excluded from mainstream narratives. The solution lies in dismantling the military’s control over surveillance and governance, while amplifying decentralized, community-led alternatives like the Chakma *panchayat* systems. Without addressing these structural mechanisms—rooted in economic interests, historical precedents, and geopolitical alliances—Bangladesh risks descending into a prolonged cycle of instability, where the military’s power remains unchecked and the democratic experiment continues to unravel.