Only 6 months left, how will reforms be implemented, Rehman Sobhan asks

Economist and Chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Rehman Sobhan, has criticised the absence of an effective mechanism for implementing reforms in Bangladesh, even after 54 years of independence.

Speaking as chief guest at the launch of a new initiative, Bangladesh Reform Watch, at a hotel in the capital’s Gulshan on Monday morning, Sobhan remarked, “The interim government has only six more months remaining. If the process is not finalised now, how will reforms be implemented? We still do not know which reforms are to be undertaken.”

The event was moderated by Debapriya Bhattacharya, convener of the Citizen’s Platform and a distinguished fellow at CPD.

Professor Rehman Sobhan cautioned that reform could not be achieved merely by securing signatures from 30 political parties on a written document.

“For implementation, you need executive orders, ordinances, and budgetary allocations. Some parties are saying they will not go to elections without reforms, but we still do not know what reforms are intended, or how they are to be carried out,” he observed.

Reflecting on the reform process, the veteran economist noted that reform initiatives ought to be passed through detailed parliamentary debate. “But in all these years, such a culture has not been established,” he said.

He added that civil society’s role should not be limited to drafting papers; rather, they ought to have persistently demanded accountability — a responsibility they have neglected. “The question is: can we now come together to work institutionally?” he asked.

Speaking about the broader role of civil society, Rehman Sobhan urged greater engagement beyond academic discourse and seminars.

If this community steps beyond the confines of organising seminars, it can contribute far more meaningfully to the lives of ordinary people, he added.