Debapriya laments fading reform momentum in Bangladesh

Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya on Monday said the initial enthusiasm for reforms, which emerged after the interim government’s takeover, has largely faded.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of ‘Reform Watch’ organised by the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs at a city hotel, he expressed disappointment over the country’s reform initiatives.

“Bangladesh is going through a major storm. The biggest challenge in this storm is to uphold the spirit of anti-discrimination of July, to keep alive the aspiration for change. But the wave of reforms is no longer there,” Debapriya said.

Although many reform committees, commissions and task forces have been formed, Debapriya observed that reforms eventually remained confined to political discussions. “In this story of reforms, there is no place for the marginalised and minority people of the country. Their expectations have not been valued,” he said.

Debapriya went on to say, “The biggest question for the current government is: Have they lost their way? What conflicts of interest have driven them away? That is the crucial question now.”

Debapriya, who himself was a member of the White Paper Committee, noted that even those reform attempts fell short of expectations. “Technical solutions cannot deliver reforms. Practical solutions are required. This is where the current government has a major shortcoming,” he said.

Another CPD Distinguished Fellow, Dr Mustafizur Rahman, recalled that similar discussions on reforms were seen during Justice Shahabuddin’s time when 29 task forces had been formed.

“But those initiatives never saw the light of day. The same scenario seems to be repeating this time. Reforms repeatedly collapse mainly because of decisions taken without public involvement,” he pointed out.

Executive Director of SANEM, Dr Selim Raihan, said the wave of reforms completely died down after December 2024.

“When those who are opposed to reforms have become more powerful in government, it is unrealistic to expect reform. A few measures have been taken, true, but nothing substantial has happened yet. The failure to implement reforms has raised questions about the capacity of both the state and the government,” he said.

In his inaugural remarks, CPD Additional Research Director Towfiqul Islam Khan said the Citizen’s Platform will formulate a people-oriented manifesto by drawing directly from citizens’ expectations. The aim of this platform is to align political parties’ manifestos with the aspirations of the people, he added.