Dynastic succession of leadership in politics: Case of Bangladesh

[This was published in the African Herald Express on 10 March, in Dhaka Courier on 08 March and in the Financial Express on 03 March 2013]

Politics is exercised and played through a political party. A political party is an organization, which is used as a vehicle to carry the load and note of manifesto and program, short term and long term, of its politics aimed at the well-being of the people in a country/territory in the context of time, space and dimension with necessary links and touch with bi-lateral, regional and global landscapes as a whole. One of the foremost components of a political party is its leadership that gets sharpened, matured and oceanic sliding into statesmanship in its entirety. It is also called heart and brain of a political party. The characteristics of leadership cannot gamely be foisted upon a person since leadership is in the final analysis both a matter of knowledge and experience backed by power of vision and mission, although ‘under certain peculiar circumstances’ even in the realm of leaderships ‘natural leadership’ is treated as one of recognized categories of leaderships’. Of all types of leadership dynastic leadership, qualified or not, has become an object of special attention and focus in the democratic world in particular because of the dangers that emanate in most of the cases from its limitations largely innate by nature. Therefore, the asking arises instantly is what is dynastic leadership?

Dynastic leadership, in plain language, implies leadership through/by virtue of heredity/inheritance wherein the office of the leadership of party/organization passes from the immediate past leader, dead or alive, to someone from the fold of his/her family, usually the choice may be wife, son, daughter, brother or sister even, mostly opportunistically and strategically with a view to keeping, fastening and upholding unity of the party and thus strengthening it as a whole. It is a sign of party’s allegiance to the immediate past leader, in most of the cases founder or successor of the founder of the party, on the one hand and on the other it plays a vital role to put an end to the sensational race of many a heavy weight leading respective groups in the party in the wake of death/ departure of the immediate past leader. Race for the office of leadership is serious if a vacuum takes place on account of pre-mature passing away. It becomes the graver one if such death occurs in out of the blue. It results in the gravest one if the reason for such death comes from a stratagem. It is also observable that dynastic politics is exclusive where right of leadership is a divine right of the heir alone. On the other hand, democratic traditions are inclusive where anyone having the support of majority can become a political leader. Leadership is thus well-monopolized for one or two families who do not allow the democracy to take roots in order.

Dynastic leadership in politics has got straightforward access in the subcontinent of south Asia. It began in India with the passing away of J. Nehru and rise of Mrs. Indira Gandhi to Rajib Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi and it is believed that Rahul Gandhi, son of Rajib-Sonia Gandhi, is the next to take over the leadership of Congress. Rana dynasty in Nepal has been carrying a long tradition of leadership there. In Srilanka Bandaranaike dynasty made it known to all chronically for a long. Aung San Suu Kyi is the continuation of her father Aung San, founder of Burma, now Myanmar. Late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto shall be named in the political history in Pakistan for being the root of dynastic succession of leadership in the Pakistan People’s Party as his death by capital punishment paved the way for his wife Nusrat Bhutto to take the leadership of PPP followed by daughter Benazir Bhutto to her son Bialwal Bhutto even at the age of 19. The late leader Benazir Bhutto, through her will, transferred all her assets including her party’s leadership to this boy of tender age to pave way for his becoming the prime minister.

In Bangladesh dynastic leadership in politics found its origin in Awami League (AL) when Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu and wife of nuclear scientist M. A. Wazed Miah, was chosen by the party as its president in the council in 1981. Since then she has been in the chair. It is understood that she will be succeeded by any one of her family whether it is her sister Sheikh Rahena or son Sajib Wajed Joy or daughter Saima Hossen Putul. Same is true in case of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) where Begum Khaleda Zia, widow of late Ziaur Rahman, became the chairperson of BNP without any race. Now it is crystal clear that her son Tareq Raman, currently senior vice-chairman of BNP, is the next chairperson of the party. In Jatio Party former president of Bangladesh H.M. Ershad, founder and chairman of Jatio Party, has meanwhile appointed his brother GM Quader as acting chairman of the party making it comprehensible that GM Quader shall take over after his death or political departure. Case of Bangladesh Jatio Party is also similar where Andaleeb Parth, eldest son of late Naziur Rahman Munju, founder of Bangladesh Jatio Party (BJP), was voted to the office of the leadership of the party immediately after the death of his father. In all cases leaderships were decided solely in line with family ties/succession having the supports of the overwhelming majority members of the party. No consideration was given to required qualifications of leadership such as knowledge, education, age, experience etc in the context of time, space and dimension. Even question of charisma of the person concerned was/is not a factor here while the feeling of becoming charismatic leader while sleeping went on/goes on strongly in the very mind of him/her all the time. Senior leaders in the respective parties became helpless in the face of popular supports of the ranks and files in the parties on the one hand and on the other chasm between or among the senior leaders were so wide and profound that they could not choose a leader from among themselves.

Interestingly enough, this blast of dynastic leadership in party politics could not entail non-moderate political parties in Bangladesh like Jamaat-e-Islami, Communist Party and others in the same line and fold. Therefore, the asking is should we consider dynastic leadership in our political parties unavoidable disregarding rise and development of leadership in a methodical and democratic mode and manner? If this is the reality at present then again the asking is how the limitations of such leadership be overcome positively? Let us hope for the best in our context and pray to Allah, creator and sustainer of universe, to bless us more and more so that the problem of having leaders and leaderships continues no more in the days ahead of.