Has the interim govt lost its way, asks Debapriya Bhattacharya
Bangladesh is passing through a turmoil that is shaking people’s social and economic lives, remarked Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convenor of Citizens’ Platform and Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
Speaking about reforms, he questioned whether the interim government has lost its way.
He made these comments on Monday morning at the launching of a new initiative, Bangladesh Reform Watch, held at a hotel in Gulshan. Debapriya had earlier chaired the white paper committee on the economy for the interim government.
The event’s chief guest was CPD Chairman Professor Rehman Sobhan. Political leaders, representatives of civil society, economists, and business leaders were also in attendance.
Debapriya said, “At the beginning of the interim government, we joined in the reform efforts. But now the enthusiasm and momentum around reforms seem to have subsided. Is this due to a lack of aspiration, a conflict of interests, or something else? The question is growing stronger among us—has the interim government lost its way?”
He added, “Many can provide the technical knowledge for reforms, but implementation is a different matter altogether. To generate this demand for reform, we have joined forces with social voices through today’s initiative.”
Presenting the keynote paper, CPD Senior Research Fellow Towfiqul Islam Khan noted that after the July mass uprising, expectations were high for reforms in different sectors.
“But how far have these reforms advanced in the past year? How much progress can the interim government realistically make in its remaining time? And how much of these reform aspirations will be reflected in the manifestos of political parties?” he asked.
He explained that Bangladesh Reform Watch aims to track whether the voices and participation of marginalised people are reflected in reform initiatives.
Dhaka University Professor Selim Raihan observed that reform has long been a subject of discussion, but those tasked with carrying it out may not fully grasp its importance.
“The issue involves the state’s and government’s capacity and willingness. Moreover, there are entrenched resistances from bureaucrats, business groups, and political elites. That is why it is crucial to assess how committed political parties truly are to reforms,” he said.
CPD Distinguished Fellow Mustafizur Rahman added, “Many reform efforts in the past were never implemented. The urgent question now is whether this time will be any different. Still, we are optimistic about success and have engaged everyone in this initiative.”
Representatives of Citizens’ Platform also shared their views on reform efforts during the seminar.