The tandem of state and non-state coercion sustaining the Hasina regime in Bangladesh
Abstract
During its last 15-year rule, Sheikh Hasina’s regime transformed Bangladesh from the competitive democracy of 2008 to a de facto one-party authoritarian state, a transition consolidated through three consecutively managed elections. Central to this shift was an informal coercive alliance between state security agencies and the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of Hasina’s Awami League party. The alliance systematically undermined electoral integrity, dominated public university campuses, and suppressed public protests.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Bangladesh Politics
Society
and Development
South Asian Studies and Conflicts
Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan
Pakistan
and Middle East
Publication details
- Journal / source
- The Round Table
- Volume
- 115
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 354–358
- Publication date
- 7 January 2026
- Language
- EN