Bangladesh from Mujib to Ershad: An Interpretive Study

In the first twenty years following independence, Bangladesh experienced almost constant trauma. Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of Bengalis perished in the creation of Bangladesh. Thousands more died as a consequence of the violent political struggle in the years after independence. Bangladesh's ethos is also its legacy. The country has yet to find a formula, an acceptable political system that can provide it with the tranquillity it so desperately needs to effectively confront its enormous human dilemmas. Bangladesh is a country challenged by contradictions; nevertheless, it is a national entity with a particular and historic heritage. Cultural fusion had succeeded in Bangladesh prior to the formation of the state. The Bengalis were a community prior to their demand for self-determination. No over-arching ideology was necessary to bind them to one another. National yearnings were a direct result of cultural intimacies. But despite this apparent harmony of interest, the search for a political system has been full of pitfalls. The story of this search is the story of Bangladesh's political leaders and their roles in administering to a new nation. The first twenty years of Bangladesh were dominated by political personalities, who although seeking to articulate the sentiments of their people, failed to establish the rapport needed to achieve their goals.