ABSTRACT
In Bangladesh, one of the greatest hurdles to reform is institutional bureaucracy. Studies of accountability have generally not had much to say about whether the solutions are feasible or how conditions for accountability can be created and positive lessons applied in Bangladesh. This chapter concentrates on the fundamental questions by examining information that was obtained in interviews with the opinion leaders in Bangladesh. A majority of the journalists interviewed in the field study stressed the need for a democratic media to sustain democracy in Bangladesh. Political and parliamentary leaders from Bangladesh visited the UK to study the British system, but in fact they disregarded what they had seen and never implemented the constitution as they should have. Culture is the fourth potential barrier to reform in Bangladesh. The greatest danger to reform is a lack of economic backing. Reform is obstructed by social factors such as isolation of the elite, resistance by elite groups, and social dualism.
