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Crisis of governance-III

Govt should in no way push five commissions to fringe

FIVE commissions, out of the 11 that the interim government has instituted to effect reforms in state governance, appear to have largely been sidelined whilst the government appears busy with the six commissions. The six commissions on electoral system reforms, police administrative reforms, judiciary reforms, anti-corruption reforms, public administration reforms and...

‘Tathya apas’ are no crisis, but governance is

ON THE footpath outside the National Press Club, nearly 2,000 women have sat in for more than a month. They are information officers, or tathya apa, employed under a government project aimed at ‘empowering women through ICT’ across rural areas. As the second phase of the project comes to an end, so do their jobs, too. They demand regularisation of their job...

Zillur elected CGS president, Parvez Karim ED

The Centre for Governance Studies, a non-governmental research organisation, has announced new leadership with political analyst Zillur Rahman being elected as its new president and economist and researcher Parvez Karim Abbasi elected as the executive director.

Political parties must not let reform opportunity slip away

The dismal prospect for reforms in areas such as governance, elections, administration and power structures, largely because of increasingly polarised positions of political parties, is disheartening. It is understandable that the political parties will not have similar stance on the issues, but drastically polarised stances of the parties disregard the hopes and aspirations that...

National Bank holds workshop on governance, ethics

National Bank Training Institute on Tuesday held a workshop on ‘Good governance, ethics and integrity in corporate environment and personal life,’ said a press release...

Int’l Day of Women in Diplomacy observed

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Dhaka, in collaboration with the Centre for Governance Studies, a non-government think tank, hosted a discussion with members of major political parties to highlight the challenges women face in politics and diplomacy marking the International Day of Women in Diplomacy on Tuesday in the city.

Good governance, accountability

After almost a year of suspension of recruitment in the Malaysian labour market, Bangladesh is currently in bilateral discussions to resume the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. Recently, Malaysia announced that it will resume the process of recruiting workers from the source countries. On May 13, 2025, a delegation led by the adviser of the...

Loopholes in pesticide governance

BANGLADESH, an agriculture-dependent nation, sustains millions of livelihoods through farming. Yet, with finite arable land and a growing population, farmers are under relentless pressure to produce more. In this struggle, pesticides have become indispensable — deployed widely to combat crop-threatening pests and diseases. While pesticides can be vital to...

ONE Bank hosts views exchange on Shariah governance

ONE Bank PLC has arranged a daylong programme titled ‘Exchange of Views on Shariah Governance,’ said a press release...

Industrial failures rooted in past misrule: Sakhawat

Labour and employment adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain on Saturday blamed past misgovernance and political abuse for the failure of the country’s industrial sector, stating that factory owners used to hold political power and parliamentary positions, leading to exploitation rather than fair governance...

Banks urged to cut bad loans

Economists, researchers and academics have emphasised curtailing non-performing loans to ensure good governance in the banking sector and make the country’s economy vibrant...

MJF gets Parveen Mahmud as new chairperson

Parveen Mahmud has been elected as chairperson of the Manusher Jonno Foundation, a non-government organisation that works to promote human rights and good governance...

IMPORTANCE OF MERITOCRACY: Building just, progressive society

MERITOCRACY may be defined as a system of governance or administrative structure where individuals are rewarded and promoted or given a chance to grow and develop based on their merit, abilities and skills rather than their social status, power or connections. It is often heralded as an efficient and justified way to assign responsibilities, provide opportunities...

BANGLADESH’S GOVERNANCE GAMBLE: Proposal on federalism

IS BANGLADESH ready for a federal system? Emerging from the recommendation of the Administrative Reforms Commission, the issue has generated considerable discussion. Although federalism has been acknowledged for its capacity to distribute power and solve regional problems elsewhere in the world, its viability in Bangladesh is yet unknown. Examining this...

Govt should look into BRTC corruption, misgovernance

ALMOST a fourth of the Road Transport Corporation buses falling beyond economic repairs mainly because of poor maintenance in 15 years is worrying. The fleet of the agency has 1,512 buses. But, 1,102 buses run as 343 of them have been categorised beyond repairs, making any repairs financially not viable, and 64 are under heavy repairs. The agency bought 1,558 buses...

SRI LANKA: Sharing responsibility in sub-national governance

THE government is reported to be preparing legal amendments to ensure the conduct of long postponed provincial elections. Elections to the nine provincial councils have been postponed since 2017 when the government at that time decided to amend the law pertaining to the conduct of provincial elections. But they never completed the process, which...

Commission for data protection a timely demand

THIS is assuring that the government plans an independent commission to protect citizens’ data on digital platforms. An Information and Communication Technology Division policy adviser at the launch of a European Union-supported initiative for an effective e-governance and digital public services on January 27 said that the government’s plan for the...

Experts for ensuring corporate governance

Experts at a seminar laid emphasis on ensuring corporate governance in promoting transparency, ensuring accountability and aligning with sustainable development goals.

TRANSITION TO NEW BANGLADESH: The good, the bad and the ugly

BANGLADESH is faced with many tricky challenges in its quest for transition to a truly democratic system of governance. The student-led mass uprising of July-August 2024 forced Sheikh Hasina to flee the country after her 15-year iron-fisted rule, albeit under the façade of a democratic system of government. In 2021, when the country reached...

Bureaucrats taking on multiple roles undermine governance: Debapriya

Bureaucrats, who assume multiple roles as administrators, politicians and businesspeople, pose a significant challenge to ensuring good governance, observed Debapriya Bhattacharya, convenor of Citizen’s Platform and distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue...

Reform should include marginalised groups’ voice

The voices of the marginalised and vulnerable groups including women, low-income households, people with disabilities, third- and trans-gender, and minorities should be included in the reform for good governance, experts said on Sunday...

Governance crisis and sustainable solution

IN THE wake of the Monsoon Revolution, Bangladesh stands at a critical juncture, facing what could be its last chance to establish genuine democratic governance. In the past, while the nation’s leadership touted various reform initiatives and grand visions, the fundamental issues plaguing the country’s governance structure remained largely unaddressed. The current situation demands more than just...

Roundtable on effective, accountable local governance held

Discussants at a roundtable in Dhaka on Sunday said that steps such as actionable guidelines to minimise political influence in local governance, fostering transparency, empowering local government officials, and practical approaches for boosting people’s participation in governance should be taken to bring a decentralised system in the country...

Strengthening democracy and democratic governance

BANGLADESH emerged as an independent nation in 1971 with a democratic beginning, but unfortunately it did not have smooth sailing. In the past 50 years, Bangladesh experienced...

Need for ombudsman

In an era where good governance, accountability and transparency are increasingly demanded by the public, the role of an ombudsman has become indispensable in many democratic nations. Yet in Bangladesh, the potential of this office remains largely untapped. Despite being enshrined in the constitution, the ombudsman’s office has yet to be...

Munira Khan becomes CGS chairperson

National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh former member Munira Khan has been appointed as chairperson of the Centre for Governance Studies, said a...

Good governance: SMART way

THE rule of law, accountability, transparency, equality, social justice, etc are key elements of good governance. Previously, even democratically elected governments became unpopular due to a lack of accountability and transparency. However, the common people want the overall success of the interim government, which assumed office after the fall...

Political crisis must be solved by political leadership: dialogue

Politicians and rights activists on Saturday said that ongoing political crisis in the country must be solved by political leadership and the interim government should engage politicians in the process of the nation rebuilding...

Addressing norms for democratic governance

IN BANGLADESH, the forms of address used in official settings are not merely ceremonial but deeply rooted in the historical and socio-political fabric of the nation. These linguistic conventions, significantly shaped by the legacy of British colonial rule, uphold hierarchical structures and define the power dynamics between governing authorities and the public...