Reforms a big dream, elections has to held, people’s ease is priority: Debapriya Bhattacharya

“Bringing reforms is a very big dream, unity is required for that to be carried out. At the same time we also have to hold elections. But before everything, we have to bring ease in the lives of the people,” Debapriya Bhattacharya, head of the committee to compose a white paper on the state of the country’s economy, said on Friday.

This noted economist made the remarks while speaking at a national dialogue on “Unity in Which Way”, at the Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh in the capital’s Farmgate area today.

Friday was the first day of two-day dialogue on national unity, reforms and the election. Forum for Bangladesh Studies has organised the dialogue that was inaugurated in the morning.

Addressing the dialogue, Debapriya Bhattacharya said, “Don’t deviate the people aligned with reforms by not providing them with a law and order, square meals and guarantee for jobs.”

Issuing a note of warning, the economist said, “We should not lose the good in yearning for the best. We want to reach the top level but reaching there will not be possible if we do not consider the problems of this moment.”

Debapriya Bhattacharya also put emphasis on maintaining universal human rights. “We have to have the guarantee that there will be a right to live, talk and gather for the people who are lagging behind, indigenous communities, dalits, and those facing river erosion, inequalities between male and female, differences due to religious beliefs and gender identity. We have to build a Bangladesh of that unity. We have to reach a consensus on some minimum points.”

He thinks there are some lacking though many discussions have been held on structural administrative reforms. And that is - most of the discussions are about the superstructure, not the base of this country and society.

The noted economist expressed at the dialogue, “We don’t hear discussions about what would be the salary of an apparel factory worker, how he would get fair wage, whether the farmer would get his produce or not, how a middle class family would buy vegetables at Tk 80 now? Those were not raised in the discussion.

“We did not even discuss how the youths would get jobs. Are we seeing those reforms? What reforms would you make at the superstructure if our base is not performing well? Real empowerment is the empowerment of livelihood. It is regrettable that our leaders are not considering those,” he added.

Raising the issue of dearness allowance for the public servants, Debapriya Bhattacharya remarked that though there is discussion about dearness allowance of government employees, we do not hear any discussion on how the remaining people would get the dearness allowance. “We do not even hear whether there would be any allowance for unemployed graduates.”

Debapriya Bhattacharya feels proud as his team could deliver the white paper on time.

He said, “You can’t even imagine the magnitude of looting; what a dangerous economic situation we have inherited. This has to be rectified.”