There is a well-known Bangla idiom we have been hearing since childhood — “riding on the tiger’s back.” Its literal meaning is to be in danger or to engage in an extremely risky act.
It implies a situation where one risks losing power or inviting destruction. The phrase describes a condition in which someone becomes dependent on a powerful or dangerous entity (like a tiger), such that if circumstances change, that dependency could cause great harm.
For example, if a political leader relies on a group that could overthrow him at any time in order to hold on to power, he can be compared to a person riding on the tiger’s back.
Similarly, any difficult or dangerous task that is hard to accomplish or from which there is no turning back can also be likened to this idiom. In essence, riding on the tiger’s back symbolizes a state of grave risk or peril for an individual or institution.
This expression is especially relevant to rulers—both elected and unelected—in many Third World countries. But why does such a situation arise? Particularly when someone comes to power illegally or through backdoor means, they inevitably find themselves in a precarious position.
However, even those who rise to power through elections may end up riding the tiger. In developing countries, governance often brings unforeseen challenges that leave leaders with little choice but to resort to authoritarian tendencies.
Running these countries is no easy task. Maintaining law and order, establishing rule of law, and bringing peace and stability are all uphill battles. As a result, rulers often become irritable and short-tempered.
When would they even find time to think about national development? Their very survival in power becomes a daily struggle. Chants like “Set fire to the leader’s chair!” erupt in protests, and the government wastes precious time arresting opponents and throwing them in jail. Consequently, human rights violations become a recurring accusation both at home and abroad.
Meanwhile, in these poverty-stricken nations, bribery, corruption, and money laundering continue freely and openly. Thus, almost every government finds itself trapped — staying in power is dangerous, but losing power is even more perilous.
Then there is the law of nature itself. When oppression and wrongdoing go on unchecked and the people can no longer bear it, restoring balance becomes inevitable.
This is why, from time to time, the power dynamics in Third World countries suddenly shift. Yet due to the lack of systemic reform in politics, economics, and governance, the desired change never truly comes. As a result, these rulers can never escape the reality of riding the tiger’s back.
They forget that when they are out of power, they do not face such dangers. Why? Because they no longer control the administration, law enforcement, or the state’s sensitive institutions.
So, remembering the reasons why they were forced to ride the tiger in the first place, why do they not act differently when they are in power? If they governed responsibly and remained accountable to the people, they would have nothing to fear when out of office.
But the reality in developing countries is different. Eventually, accountability to the people becomes a distant concept — and in many cases, the people themselves become hostages to their rulers. Until this situation changes, the rulers of these nations will never be able to dismount from the tiger’s back.