Democratic Backsliding & Constitutional Erosion in Bangladesh

Over the past decade, concerns about democratic backsliding have intensified across multiple regions, including South Asia. This dissertation examines patterns of constitutional erosion in Bangladesh, focusing on weakening judicial independence, constraints on electoral competition, and executive aggrandizement. Drawing on comparative constitutional theory, institutional analysis, and political developments since the 2008 electoral realignment, the study argues that Bangladesh exemplifies a model of incremental executive consolidation through formal constitutional amendments, informal institutional pressures, and politicization of accountability mechanisms. The research situates Bangladesh within broader global trends of democratic backsliding while highlighting context-specific drivers rooted in party polarization, civil-military legacies, and the personalization of executive authority. The paper concludes by evaluating implications for constitutional resilience and democratic recovery.