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Democracy dies when politics becomes a livelihood’

experts caution

Staff correspondent, Dhaka: Politics in Bangladesh has increasingly become a means of livelihood rather than a platform for public service, speakers observed at a seminar titled ‘In Pursuit of a Better Political Culture in Bangladesh’s Democratic Transition.’

The event, held at a Gulshan hotel on Tuesday (November 4), organized by the Dhaka Tribune with support from the Embassy of Norway in Dhaka, brought together academics, diplomats, civil society leaders, and political analysts.

Participants called for sweeping reforms in political values, ethics, and institutions to restore public trust in democracy.

Norwegian Ambassador Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen said that while Bangladesh’s interim government has initiated significant structural reforms, the country’s democratic renewal depends on the moral conduct of its politicians.

Gulbrandsen said, Without a good political culture, even the best institutional reforms may fail. Democracy is not about majoritarianism, it requires respect for diversity and inclusion.

The ambassador noted that Norway’s political culture thrives on civility.

He highlighted that Bangladesh’s National Consensus Commission (NCC), led by the chief adviser, is guiding the final stage of reform to institutionalize the July Charter — a document outlining systemic reform, transparency, and decentralization.

But, he cautioned, Without a change in political culture, even painstaking reforms will not deliver lasting democracy.

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