Electoral Participation in Bangladesh: Explaining Regional Variations

Electoral participation in Bangladesh varies substantially from region to region. Why is this so? The regional variation offers an opportunity to test theories of democratic development and participation. Theories of modernisation suggest that socio-economic development is important for democratic practices whereas others have indicated the role of political factors such as political culture or modes of electoral mobilisation and campaigning. Overall, electoral participation in Bangladesh depends more on political factors than on the socio-economic modernisation of the region. However, the variation may also to some extent be consistent with the persistence of traditional mores and social stratification of rural Bangladesh.