Bangladesh, Sept. 5 -- Just as our social life and cultural heritage have been molded by a continuous stream, so too our political practice and organizational behavior follow a distinct tradition. Whenever attempts are made to step outside of that stream, we stumble — indeed, that has always been the case. We have adopted democratic principles and ideals, yet we have never truly managed to align them with Western democracy, nor does there seem to be reason for such hope. That is why, while Western-style parties thrive on democratic practice within their structures, we have never been able to do the same. British or American forms of democracy are absent from our South and Southeast Asian context.

Take, for example, the worlds large...