7. Conclusions

This chapter first answers the research question, “why the civil society in Bangladesh can hardly contribute in democratic consolidation” based on the findings in the previous chapters, then moves on to the discussion on implications of the study in liberal democratic theory, donor policies, and democracy in Bangladesh. The core thesis of the book is that, civil society in Bangladesh may be termed vibrant from its activities and success in social development, but it can hardly be termed vigilant because of its low participatory nature and politicized and divided attributes. This also qualifies the prevailing assumption of the liberal democratic model often incorporated in donor policies, which emphasizes the positive and the direct relation between civil society and democracy. Unless political consensus grows among the political actors to accept politics as a game, democratic consolidation is hardly possible with the efforts of a few civil society organizations. This also requires concomitant institutionalization of political structures and economic development. Moreover, this chapter provides a brief update about the nature of civil society activities and their style of advocacy observed recently. The update findings only strengthen the inferences, thesis, and conclusion of this study.