Survey finds public support for both

People of Bangladesh support democracy but at the same time many also believe in sharia law as they believe it might be helpful in ensuring justice and fairness in governance, said a new survey.

“Although Bangladeshis support democracy, many also believe that introducing sharia, or Islamic law based on the Quran and the Hadith, might be helpful in ensuring justice and fairness in governance,” said the survey conducted by the RESOLVE Network.

The Washington-based RESOLVE Network, an initiative of the Global Research Network on Conflict, published the report styled “Democracy and Sharia in Bangladesh: Surveying Support” yesterday.

The report was authored by Dr Ali Riaz, professor of the Department of Politics and Government at the Illinois State University, USA, and Syeda Salina Aziz, senior research associate of Brac Institute of Government and Development.

Conducted in April 2017, this research is based on a face-to-face representative survey of 4,067 households in Bangladesh.

Respondents indicated an overwhelming support for key democratic principles, such as elected representatives, an independent judiciary, freedom of speech and assembly, and property rights.

The report said two points clearly emerged from analysing the survey data -- Bangladeshis unequivocally support democratic values and sharia as a mode of good governance.

Weak democratic institutions, particularly perceived lack of judicial independence, appear to be providing opportunities for advocates to demand a greater role for sharia in the legal system.

At the same time, 91 percent thought elected representation was a core democratic principle.

“There is a strong association between Sharia and good governance; more than 80 percent of respondents agreed with the statements that Sharia would ensure basic service provision, personal security, and justice, as well as discourage corruption,” the report said.

It also said many do not feel they are being fairly governed by the elected representatives.

The report concludes that the discrepancy between the popular perception of the attributes of democracy and the actual state of democracy in Bangladesh, as revealed by this survey, is a source of concern.

“Elected representatives and an independent judiciary were regarded as important institutions by those who participated in this survey; however, large numbers of respondents believed these two crucial elements of democracy were not functioning well in Bangladesh.”