Abstract:
The study examines the role of civil society in a weak state that is Bangladesh. Data
has been collected from two main sources namely documents and interviews. This
study assumes that firstly the type, nature and the distribution of power in the state
determines the relationship between state and the civil society; secondly, civil society
groups tend to take over the key functions of the state and emboldened by their
success, the civil society groups, tend to deviate from their traditional activities and
get involved in business and political activities; thirdly, that strong civil society
groups in a weak state become intolerant towards their fellow groups, social values
and the state and finally, challenged by increasing civil society activities, the state
undertakes steps to regain control over the civil society. However, this research has
examined the involvement of the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs in
Bangladesh. Larry Diamond and Edward Shills have agreed that the civil society
organisations are distinct from other groups in the society at least in four basic respect
which are: concern with public ends, voluntary and non-profit making, non-political
and civil and tolerant. Two main NGOs in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Rural
Advancement Committee (BRAC) and Proshika Manabik Unnyan Kendra [Proshika
Human Development Centre] are the focus of the study. The study has found that the
NGOs claiming to be part of civil society organisations do not exhibit all the above
four characteristics. Although NGOs work for public ends they go against the other
indicators such as voluntary, non-profit making, non-political, civility and tolerance.
Throughout the history of Bangladesh, the State has shown some reactions whenever
the NGOs have gone beyond the traditional civil society concept.
