Politicians and economists at a discussion on Sunday said that drastic reforms without changes in political culture would not improve the country鈥檚 socio-economic situation.
At the discussion titled 鈥�365 days of the interim government鈥� arranged by the Centre for Policy Dialogue in the capital Dhaka, they also said that issues like extortion, deteriorating law and order situation, political uncertainty, ineffective bureaucracy, messy transport system and poor energy security were the key challenges.
The interim government assumed office on August 8, 2024, three days after the ouster of the authoritarian Awami League regime in a mass uprising.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that people were expecting huge changes, which was a wake-up call for political parties.
He said that reforms without changes in political culture would be useless.
In the keynote, Centre for Policy Dialogue executive director Fahmida Khatun said that people were in discomfort during the interim government due to various issues.
She said no qualitative changes in the life of people was seen over the past one year.
Translating the macro-economic improvement into investment, employment and overall comforts is still challenging, said the CPD executive director.
BB governor Ahsan Habib Mansur, however, said expecting an investment binge amid political uncertainty and unstable security was highly illusory.
Narrating the series of current and future measures taken by the interim government, the BB governor said that they had already achieved the first priority by restoring macro-economic stability while positive signs on both foreign direct and domestic investments had been seen.
He said the next elected government would keep itself away from criminalising the financial sector and highlighted the necessity of a strong leadership and more independence for the central bank.
BNP leader Amir Khasru said that sustainable reform could only be brought through electoral process.
He assured of liberalisation for the economic lift-up and one crore job generation in 10 months if the BNP is voted to power in the next general election expected to be held next February.
In his speech as chief guest, adviser to the ministry of shipping and textiles retired Brigadier General M Sakhawat Hussain hoped that the next elected government would be able to overcome political interests amid fragile administration and police force.
He also urged the politicians to shun politics in the education sector.
A number of other speakers also highlighted the abysmal state in the education, health and labour sectors.
National University vice-chancellor ASM Amanullah said that there was no laboratory work for mathematics, physics and chemistry students.
He said that he was astonished to a see students writing answer papers with the help of AI while teachers drinking tea.
Highlighting difficulties in managing private colleges, he said that many in the past provided Tk聽50 lakh to Tk聽60 lakh to celebrate the Mujib Year by the ousted AL.
Labour reform commission chairman Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed said that reforms in the labour sector were essential not only to check inequality but also for successful graduation from the least developed countries鈥� bloc.
Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said that discussions on the minimum wage still remained unresolved.
He said rights of workers and farmers should be ensured to glorify the movements of 1990 and 2024 after great Liberation War in 1971 that gave birth to Bangladesh.
