Jagannath University

Assignment On
Modes of Government: Dictatorship and Democracy
Course title: History of Political Thoughts and Forms of Government
Course Code: 2104

Submitted to:
Umma Salma Hridoy
Lecturer
Department of History
Jagannath University

Submitted by:
Md. Momenul Islam
ID: B180103011
Department Of History
Jagannath University
Date of Submission: 13-07-2021
Introduction:
In its broadest sense, government is institutionalized authority, organized to
direct the larger society towards goal divided by political actors. This
perspective has many implications. Democracy system is a type of
government where the citizen is qualified to pick their delegate in the public
authority. Furthermore, it empowers the citizen to give their voice in
enactment. While then again, dictatorship is a type of government where the
whole force lives in the hand of a solitary individual that is the dictator. Since
the nineteenth and twentieth century both Democracy and Dictatorship
arose as a significant type of government on the planet.

Democracy
Definition and meaning: Democracy is the most popular government of the
modern age. In a democracy, the people are the source of absolute state
power. The English synonym for democracy derives from the Greek words
Demos and Kratos or Kratia. Demos means people and the word Kratos or
Kratia means governing power. So, in the literal sense, democracy means the
ruling power of the people.

The Greek historian Herodotus states: "Democracy is a system of

government in which the ruling power is vested in all members of society,
not in any class or some group of people.

Sir John Seely said " Democracy is a government in which everyone has a
share." According to Barker, "Democracy is a system of government by
discussion."

Pro. Dicey said "Democracy is a form of government in which the governing

body is a comparatively large fraction of the entire population.
C. F. Strong said, "Democracy implies that government which shall reston
active consent of the governed.

President Abraham Lincoln's definition of democracy is very popular.

According to him, "Democracy is a government of the people, by the people
and for the people."

According to Pro. McIver Democracy is not a way of governing, whether by

way of majority or otherwise, but primarily a way of determining who shall
govern and broadly, to what ends.

Thinkers and political scientists have described democracy not only as a

system of government but also as a social system. So, storytelling involves a
system of government or a society where everyone regardless of race,
religion or caste, can participate in state affairs, form a government and run
it according to their ability. But modern democracy is a system of
representative governance.

Characteristics of Democracy
• Consent of people: Democratic government is dependent on the
consent of the people. The people form the government through
elections which can change.
• Multiple party system: There are more than one political party in the
same government. One of the essential aspects of a modern
representative democracy.
• Independent Judiciary: Through an independent judiciary protects
the life, property, social and political rights of the people. That is why
an independent and impartial judiciary is very important in a
democratic system of governance. In the absence of this, there is a
danger that democracy will turn into a dictatorship.
• Constitutional system: In democracy the government can be changed
in a semi-internal way. Government is formed or changed through
elections.
 • Rule of law: One of the features of democracy is the rule of law.
Everyone is equal in the eyes of the law, no one is above the law.
Everyone, irrespective of race, religion, caste, rich or poor, has to abide
by the rules of the Isle. No one subject to the rule of law shall be held
captive or detained or punished.
• Freedom of the Press: Independent press or 'free press' is a special
feature of democracy. The independent role of the press is essential in
a democratic system of governance. In a chaotic state, newspapers
make both the people and the government educated and aware.
• Veterans' rights: Government is formed on the basis of Veterans'
Rights.
• Responsible Government: Democracy formed by a responsible
government. Democratic governments are directly or indirectly
accountable to the people for their actions.

Dictatorship
Dictatorship is the opposite of democracy. A dictatorship is a system of
government where all the powers of government are vested in one person
or dictator. Opposition to the government in the dictatorship was severely
suppressed. Strict control measures were imposed on the news. No criticism
is tolerated against the dictator. Opposition political organizations are not
allowed to form in any corner.

According to Newman, “By dictatorship we understand the rule of a person

or group of persons who arrogate to themselves and monopolies power in
the state, exercising it without restraint.”

Roger Scruton says "Dictatorship is a style of government which one person,

office, faction or party is empowered to dictate all political action and compel
obedience from other citizens,"
In the modern era, dictatorship is inserted on the tomb of democracy. During
World War I, Franco established dictatorships in Spain, Hitler in Germany, and
Mussolini in Italy. After World War II, dictatorships were established in many
countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. In these countries, ordinary
military juntas seized power and established dictatorships. “One nation, one
party and one leader” is the motto of dictatorship

Characteristics of Dictatorship:
• One-man rule: Dictatorship All power in the state is vested in one man.
The dictator is the source of all power. The dictator is not accountable
to Kara for his actions. The dictator is wrong - above all.
• One-party rule: There is only one political party in a dictatorship. That
party is the dictator's own party. Opposition parties and Maoists were
brutally suppressed and eliminated.
• Use of force: Dictators believe in force rather than force. The
dictatorial government brutally suppressed all dissenting views and
statements by force. For this reason, dictators form special forces or
secret police forces.
• Excessive centralization of power: In a dictatorship, all state power is
concentrated in the hands of the central government, especially the
dictator. The dictator is the source of successful power.
• Mock legislature: A dictatorship has a mock legislature. Basically, this
legislature is nominal. Laws are enacted in favor of the will of the
dictator and the sole purpose of this legislature is to support him in all
respects.
• Monopoly of the media: Dictators have full control over the state
media. The most publicized section is just singing the praises of the
dictator. Newspapers, radio, television, etc. are subject to strict
censorship.
 • One Idealism: One believes in an ideology in a particular corner of
dictatorship. The dictator believes in the ideology that is only glorified
in government propaganda. Opposition to such beliefs or ideals is
ruthlessly suppressed and eliminated.
• Extremist Nationalists: Dictatorships believe in extremist nationalism.
"One nation, one leader, one country - this is the key to a dictatorship.
Hitler thought" the German nation is the greatest, so they have the
right to rule the world. "

How democracy turn into Dictatorship?

Democracy has been having been depicted in Aristotle's system as the
standard of the inept, as a chance for the smart poor to thrive by misusing
the state structure. Many states cannot fulfill civil rights, cannot guarantee
the rule of law, cannot guarantee the right to freedom of speech and
economic equality. Rather, it benefits the class closest to power, who amass
wealth through illicit gain, increasing socio-state inequality. As a result,
democratic values are gradually declining, people lose confidence in
democratic government.

• Constitutional weakness: The constitution acts as a bulwark for the

citizens in a democratic structure, guaranteeing the acquisition of
fundamental rights and civil rights. If there is a weakness in the
constitution, it destroys the civil rights of the citizens like freedom of
speech, right to vote, and causes the collapse of democratic values. Just
as the newly independent countries suffer from this problem, at the
same time the countries which do not have competent leadership and
harmony among the political parties also suffer from this problem.
There is also the role of state policy-making bureaucrats, the military
and law enforcement agencies.
• Presidential Government system: In presidential countries, the
president is usually the head of state and also serves as head of
 government. As a result, he made policy decisions through the kitchen
cabinets of his choice. He has no accountability to the legislature, so
the place of accountability is less. As a result, when the legislature failed
to play an effective role, the president gradually leaned towards
dictatorship, leading to the collapse of democracy.
• Interference in elections: At the heart of democratic values are
periodic elections, in which the people elect their representatives
through voting. But in the current context, various factors are affecting
the election. While authoritarian regimes are manipulating elections to
keep them in power, superpowers are again interfering in international
politics. These incidents affect the thinking of the people, often
changing the verdict.
• History of the practice of democratic values: Even in this triumphant
era of democracy in the state structure, there are regimes like
monarchy, dictatorship, aristocracy in different countries. When a
country has been in such structures for a long time, even if a
democratic system of governance is suddenly established there,
democracy is not sustainable.
• Influence of foreign powers: The superpowers always present
themselves as the bearers and bearers of democratic values, as vocal
advocates for human rights and freedom of speech. But these
superpowers also have a questionable role in the democratic process
of different countries, there is a maximum effort to implement the
interests. This often leads to the collapse of democracy.

Reason Behind Military regime in Bangladesh after 1975:

After the independence of Bangladesh faced some military coup some
political violent just as the newly independent countries suffer from weakness
in the constitution, democratic values, civil rights of the citizens at the same
time the countries which do not have competent leadership and harmony
among the political parties also suffer from this problem. This chaotic
situation occurred after some controversial decision came from ruling party
Awami-league. They made some constitutional changes. Which became a
massive chaos in that time. Here are some examples:

• The Declaration of Bangladesh as a One-Party State: As the

President of the Republic, Sheikh Mujib issued an order introducing the
one-party system in Bangladesh. President Mujib issued a new
constitution of the BKSAL which revealed his attempt to tighten his grip
over the National Party. This Party constitution gave him absolute
power to control and oversee all the high-ranking officials of the Party.
He headed all the high-powered committees of the National Party, and
the fifteen-member (National) Executive Committee, which was at the
head of the BKSAL, consisted of four of Mujib's close relatives, ten of
his associates and Mujib himself.
• The Resentment of the Military Forces towards the Mujib Regime:
The people of Bangladesh became disenchanted with Sheikh Mujib for
his new constitutional and political structure, and there was a growing
feeling that Mujib intended to create a political dynasty for the benefit
of his relatives and closest associates. The Bangladesh military forces
shared, in general this popular disillusionment.
• The Declaration of Martial Law in August 1975: The grievances of
the military found expression in the early hours of 15 August 1975,
when Mujib and several members of his family were killed in a coup
masterminded by a group of army officers, mostly majors, some of
whom Mujib had dismissed from the army more than a year earlier.
Immediately thereafter, for the first time in the history of independent
Bangladesh, Martial Law was declared throughout the country.
• The Successive Coups and Their Impact on the Discipline of the
Armed Forces: By announcing the overthrow of the government of
Sheikh Mujib on 15 August 1975, Major Dalim unknowingly opened
the flood-gates of the battle for power in the Bangladesh army.
 Between 15 August 1975 and 6 April 1979, Bangladesh witnessed eight
successive coup attempts and mutinies. Of these, four took place
between November and December 1975; three between March and
April 1976; and two between September and October 1977. The only
mutiny which was successful was the Soldiers' Uprising of 7 November
1975. Although, preceding this uprising, there had been a successful
coup on 3 November 1975, that coup proved very short-lived and in
fact lasted for only four days.
• The Civilianization of Government and the Withdrawal of Martial
Law: Zia's actual constituency was the highly politicized faction ridden
army. In June 1978, Ziaur Rahman broadened his constituency by
moving into real politics when he contested the Presidential election
as a candidate of the "Nationalists' Front", consisting of the
government sponsored Nationalist Democratic Party formed in
February 1978 and five other political parties. He won the election,
securing 76 per cent of the total votes cast. Thus, Ziaur Rahman
became the first President of the country directly elected on the basis
of universal adult franchise and the Presidential election was an
important step towards the restoration of democratic order.

The foregoing discussion reveals that, for the first time in the history of
Bangladesh, Martial Law was declared on 15 August 1975, immediately after
the assassination of the President of the country, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Therefore, it seems that the military takeover in Bangladesh in August 1975
was in the nature of a constitutional deviation rather than a 'total new
dispensation'.

Conclusion:
In democratic form of government individuals appreciate extraordinary
arrangement of freedom. The force is with masses. They can pick the public
authority and they can change the public authority. Each qualified resident
has equivalent rights and opportunity of self-articulation. In dictatorship,
there is the standard of a tyrant. Individuals reserve no privilege to choose
their chiefs and need to adhere to the laws and rules of the tyrant. Hence,
majority democracy is the best type of government that prompts the
improvement of individuals and society as the rights and freedoms of the
residents are profoundly regarded.