THE much-expected shift in mainstream political culture is far from a reality although it has been a year since the fall of the Awami League regime. A Transparency International Bangladesh study that reviewed the performance of the interim government since August 8, 2024, when the government under review was installed, reports political violence, partisan control of state organs and rampant corruption. 聽Political violence is still pervasive as 121 people were killed and 5,189 injured in 471 incidents of political violence. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is reported to have been engaged in 92 per cent of the violence while the Awami League accounted for 22 per cent, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami 5 per cent and the National Citizen Party for 1 per cent. The hold of the extortion syndicates over bus terminals, kitchen markets and footpath that characterised the deposed regime still persists. The study report that in the past year, Tk 2.21 crore was collected daily from 53 transport terminals in Dhaka. The illegally occupied party offices of the Awami League are now grabbed by other political parties.
The report also raises concern about the way the interim government has facilitated the formation of the National Citizen Party. Neither the interim government nor the political party appears to have remained true to political aspirations of people. The partisan control of public administration changed hands without any meaningful transformation. The removal of vice-chancellors in public universities was not done following the due process, and fresh appointments are alleged to have been made on partisan considerations. In the health sector, a group of physicians reportedly influenced the appointment, transfer and dismissal in administration, educational institutions and district hospitals. Media freedom and the free flow of information do not seem to be the priority of the interim government. At least 150 journalists lost their job, mobs created fear in media offices and 266 journalists were named in murder cases related to the July uprising. Three journalists were killed. Reforms in the banking sector has made no headway as about 24.13 per cent of all loans disbursed amounting to Tk 4.2 trillion have become defaulted. The failure to produce a road map for reforms and the national elections is also a governance challenge.
The government should, therefore, take reports of Transparency International Bangladesh and other civic groups with similar concerns seriously and take steps to stop further politicisation of public offices. Political parties should abandon the corrupt tendency that has for long characterised mainstream political culture and meaningfully contribute to the rare opportunity of nation-building coming up through the July mass uprising.
