The origins of the liberalism in Bangladesh can be traced from the anticolonial movements during the British Raj period. After the Partition of India, Bengali nationalist movements in the East Pakistan were led by the liberal and progressive politicians. Liberal principles such as liberté, égalité, fraternité were an important aspect of the spirit of Bangladesh Liberation War. Liberalism in modern Bangladesh is primarily centered on social liberalism and economic liberalism.
Economic liberalism
editEarly Bangladeshi leadership was dominated by the left-wing, who opposed the development of a capitalist system and promoted a strict protectionism, state intervention and economic regulation under a planned economy and limited market activities, which was characterized as "neither capitalist nor socialist" in nature.[1] But economy remained stagnated, with a deadly famine hitting in 1974. In late 1970s and 1980s, various reforms, predominantly under the presidencies of reformists Ziaur Rahman and Hussain Muhammad Ershad were taken to boost economic growth and foreign investments, including the decentralization of state enterprises and trade liberalization.[2] Contemporary Bangladesh is a liberal market economy[1][3] and 33rd largest economy in the world.[4]
List of liberal political parties
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Mostafiz, Omar. "Liberalism in Bangladesh: A Tad Too Slow". Friedrich Naumann Foundation. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Background Note: Bangladesh". Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. March 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2008. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Siddiqi, Dina Mahnaz (2010). "Political Culture in Contemporary Bangladesh". In Riaz, Ali; Fair, Christine (eds.). Political Islam and Governance in Bangladesh. Routledge. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-136-92623-5.
- ^ "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 10 October 2023.