History does not often hand societies a clear moment to pause, reflect, and reinvent. Yet Bangladesh now finds itself standing at precisely such a moment. In the aftermath of the events following 5 August, the political reshuffling, the banning of a major party, and the collapse of a familiar but dysfunctional order, we are not just facing a vacuum. We are facing a possibility.
A possibility to rethink the very nature of politics in our country. A chance to choose something different, something healthier, more inclusive, and more visionary.
A culture in crisis
For decades, politics here has resembled a noisy street fight more than a meaningful conversation. Leaders trade accusations like slogans. “During your time, 50 crore corruption; during mine, only 20 crore.” This kind of tit-for-tat defines a political culture that rewards attack over substance and fuels mistrust rather than debate.
In such an environment, even when good institutions are built, they struggle to function. Why? Because people no longer believe in them.
As Why Nations Fail puts it, “Even when inclusive political institutions emerge, they can collapse quickly if they are not backed by a broad coalition committed to upholding them.” In other words, rules mean little without trust and without shared legitimacy.
We have spent years talking about reform. But reforms alone are not enough if the deeper culture remains unchanged. It is like painting a crumbling house while ignoring the rotting foundation.
Trust is the foundation
The real problem we face is not just who holds power. It is how power is imagined, exercised, and contested. It is about trust or the lack of it. Trust in institutions. Trust between citizens and leaders. Trust that opposition does not mean betrayal. And trust that a different kind of politics is even possible.
“Successful societies are not ones with perfect leaders,” Acemoglu and Robinson write, “but those with inclusive institutions that channel the energy and ambition of their citizens into positive and collective outcomes.”
So, what would it mean to build such a society in Bangladesh?
Breaking the binary trap in politics
The first step towards genuine political renewal is to break free from the binary trap that has long confined our political imagination.
Since the fall of the Awami League, certain sections of political society have deliberately attempted to recast the BNP as the “new Awami League,” creating space for other emerging parties to assume the role once held by the BNP in the 1980s—as the primary opposition to AL. In this formula, the dominant party is always positioned as the villain, while new contenders define themselves as the antidote to that power.
This leads to a cycle of antagonism, where parties compete not over ideas or solutions, but over who is the greater evil. Such sabotage-driven politics not only weakens their own political commitment, it also sidelines the broader agenda of public service and national development.
This is not a reinvention of politics—it’s a recycling of old hostilities. And it locks us into the same tired polarity that has paralysed our political landscape for decades.
No single party can be solely blamed. This culture has taken deep root in Bangladesh over the years. What we need now is a conscious break from this pattern—a deliberate reversal of the mindset that defines politics through the blame-game alone.
Real progress begins when we stop defining ourselves by what we reject and start organising around what we share.
Moving towards positive competition
Imagine a political culture where the goal is not to discredit, but to deliver. Where parties do not fight over who stole more, but over who can govern better. Where elections are about policy, not personality. Political scientists call these “critical junctures” rare moments when structures shift and new norms can take root. As Why Nations Fail explains, these moments are when “small institutional differences… can lead to very different paths of development.” Bangladesh may be living through one of those moments now.
Learning from elsewhere
There are models of this elsewhere. In Germany, coalition governments are built across ideological lines because national stability comes first. In Rwanda, post-conflict rebuilding was anchored in an agreement that national unity had to come before party interest.
New Zealand under Jacinda Ardern showed that civility in politics is not a weakness. It is a strength. And in Scandinavia, fierce electoral competition is matched by sincere cooperation once votes are counted.
These are not perfect systems. But they offer something we often lack: political decency. The ability to disagree without destroying. To differ without dividing.
Good politics is not the absence of opposition, it is the presence of respect.
A lesson from the caliphs
The Islamic tradition also gives us a powerful example, one that speaks directly to parties who claim to follow religious values.
The four rightly guided Caliphs of early Islamic history Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali were very different in style, temperament, and even policy. Abu Bakr (R.A.) was firm and unifying during crisis. Umar ibn al-Khattab (R.A.) introduced bold administrative reforms. Uthman (R.A.) standardised scripture and expanded the empire. Ali (R.A.) led during deep internal divisions but never responded with vengeance.
What held them together was not sameness, but sincerity. They disagreed. But they also respected each other, worked for a higher purpose, and accepted each other’s legitimacy.
Beyond just history, it is a challenge to our present. If Islamic parties in Bangladesh genuinely want to honour this legacy, they must rise above petty rivalries and rediscover a politics rooted in integrity, and respect.
A culture rooted in social trust
Trust doesnot appear overnight. It is built through action, consistency, and values. It grows onlywhen citizens feel they are seen, respected, and included regardless of which party they support. This requires more than institutional engineering.
We need to bring back the idea of shared responsibility, the sense that politics more than winning is about working together for the public good. That leadership means serving, not ruling. That loyalty to ideas matters more than loyalty to names.
As Oscar Wilde put it in De Profundis: “You can differ without dividing; lead without wounding; win without humiliating.”
Let us imagine a Bangladesh where politics is rooted in service, not slogans. Parliaments are arenas of ideas instead of insults. Where we see young leaders rise through ideas and practices instead of inheritance. Governance is shown in actions, not claimed in posters.
This is not a dream. It is a direction. And in this rare, fragile moment, it is a choice we still have time to make. It is a dream which seems to be signalled by some of the top politicians who may hold the hope of our nation.
Let us not return to recycled binaries and rehearsed rivalries. Because what we build now will not just shape our politics. It will shape our future.
Ashfaq Zaman is the founder of Dhaka Forum and a strategic international affairs expert.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.