Though the dynastic leadership is a unique phenomenon in four South Asian countries, Bangladesh differs from other three countries in respect of its characteristics and magnitude. Bangladesh is the only country in South Asia where both the major political parties are headed by dynastic leaders. Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan are other three countries where participation of family members in politics exists but without stunting the growth of democracy.

Srimavo Bandarnaike, the successor to her assassinated husband Solomon Bandarnaike, who was made prime minister of Sri Lanka in 1960, was the first lady in dynastic leadership. Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has been led by two generations of Bandarnaikes -- Solomon Bandarnaike, his wife Srimavo, and daughter Chandrika Kumeratunga. Chandrika also became the president of Sri Lanka. But the dynastic

The Nehru family in India was of course the genesis of dynastic leadership. The Congress party in India has also been led by three generations of Nehru family -- Jawarharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi, Indira's son Rajiv Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi, Italian-born widow of Rajiv. Sonia has chosen to discontinue dynastic leadership declining to become the prime minister of India.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto led Pakistan People's Party (PPP) for last many years. After her father, Benazir became Pakistan's prime minister twice, but only for brief periods. Her family name helped her to win the election, but dynastic connection did not help her to remain in power.

The charisma of a family name, whether of Nehru, Bandarnaike, or Bhutto, has been considered as something of an aberration from the norms of the present day politics of liberal democracy. It was not only the charismatic force of the family lineage that catapulted Indira, Chandrika, and Benazir to power, each had their personal accomplishments and qualities. In fact, dynastic leadership in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India is now facing more serious challenges than before from other leaders.

The march of the dynastic leadership in Bangladesh began with the taking up the helm of BNP by Khaleda Zia and there has been no stopping since. Her brother Sayeed Eskandar and sister Khurshid Jahan Haq were an influential force in BNP.

Zia family's involvement in politics would have come to and end with Khaleda's retirement from politics at some point of time. But her son Tarique Rahman's (now senior joint secretary general of BNP) entry into politics, assured dynastic continuity of Zia family.

The other side of the same coin is the AL camp. Sheikh Hasina was made president of AL, more because of the absence of consensus candidate than to make obeisance to her father. But dynasties began to grow. That was 1981 and today Sheikh Hasina is still the president of AL -- even after a quarter of a century has already passed. Some members of her clan including Sheikh Selim, Sheikh Helal, Sheikh Rehana and Hasnat Abdullah remain an influential force in AL.

Same scenario is also observed while going beyond BNP and AL, the leading players in the field of dynastic leadership. H.M. Ershad, a former autocrat and president of a faction of Jatiyo Party, has taken Rowshan Ershad into politics in his pursuit to promote dynastic leadership.

His brother, G.M. Quader, and a sister are also playing their role in the party. Anwar Hossain Manju, the head of the other faction of Jatiyo Party took his wife Tasmima Hossain into politics and helped her get elected to parliament. A.S.M. Abdur Rab, head of a faction of Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal had his wife in his party along with him. Oli Ahmed, the head of Liberal Democratic Party, simultaneously served with his wife as MP.

The husband-wife episodes in dynastic leadership are too long and no one is quite sure of the number. The father-son teams playing in the field are not quite few. Badruddoza Chowdhury, the head of the BDB has made sure that his son Mahi Chowdhury is a befitting successor of him. Saifur Rahman found his son Naser Rahman as his possible successor.

Khaleda Zia is more unabashed and aggressive than Sheikh Hasina in propagating dynastic leadership. In a very disgraceful instance of dynastic thinking, Khaleda Zia made her son Tarique Rahman senior joint secretary general of BNP. Tarique has now been implicated in a number of graft cases.

But Khaleda is still unwilling to deviate from her undemocratic practice of dynastic leadership. By elevating her own brother Sayeed Eskandar to BNP vice-chairman, Khaleda once again proved that she doesn't care much for the outcries for democratization of the party. The promotion of dynastic leadership in AL did not crystallize as Sajeeb Wazed Joy had little liking for joining political fray.

Dynastic leadership is now facing jettison from a number of stalwarts both in BNP and AL. M. Saifur Rahman, a veteran member of the BNP standing committee, former education minister Osman Farruk and Dhaka mayor and senior BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka publicly criticized Khaleda Zia for her undemocratic practice and denounced dynastic leadership. Some leaders in AL are also vocal for democratic process in the party.

In fact, dynastic leadership hinders the emergence of true leadership and undermines the democratic culture. The growing trend of grooming the sons of the top leaders as future leaders, ignoring the sacrifices of more dedicated leaders and the norms of democracy, must be given up.

ANM Nurul Haque is a columnist of The Daily Star