Govt moves to implement public administration reform commission’s proposals
NN Online:
The government has taken decisive steps to implement the immediately actionable recommendations of the Public Administration Reform Commission, aiming to expedite administrative efficiency and fulfill public expectations.
A high-level meeting was held at the Chief Adviser’s Office (CAO) on June 16, 2025, presided over by M Siraz Uddin Miah, Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser, according to a press release from the CAO’s Press Wing.
It was noted that the interim government—formed through a student-people movement—has established multiple reform commissions, including six major ones, to address structural and policy reforms aligned with public aspirations. These commissions have already submitted numerous proposals.
The National Consensus Commission, led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, is currently focused on building consensus on constitutional and key institutional reforms. Meanwhile, the Chief Adviser has directed that ministries should swiftly implement the reforms that fall within their administrative jurisdiction without delay.
In line with this directive, the Cabinet Division issued letters to relevant ministries and divisions on May 25, 2025. The meeting revealed that 121 proposals from five reform commissions were identified as immediately implementable through the Cabinet Division.
These include:
9 proposals from the Electoral System Reform Commission
38 proposals from the Judiciary Reform Commission
43 proposals from the Anti-Corruption Reform Commission
13 proposals from the Police Reform Commission
18 proposals from the Public Administration Reform Commission
The June 16 meeting specifically focused on the 18 proposals submitted by the Public Administration Reform Commission. Of these, eight relatively straightforward proposals were discussed in depth:
Key Decisions Taken:
1. Hygienic Toilets at Highway Petrol Pumps:
The Energy and Mineral Resources Division will engage with the Petrol Pump and CNG Owners Association to ensure separate, hygienic toilets for men and women are established at all facilities by July 20, 2025. District administrations will supervise implementation, with regular inspections and updates to the Cabinet Division and CAO.
2. Making Ministry Websites Dynamic:
The ICT Division will hold a meeting within a week with all ministries to ensure websites are regularly updated and offer citizen feedback mechanisms. The national data governance interoperability system is to be completed within two months.
3. Reforming Managing Committees of Colleges and Schools:
The Secondary and Higher Education Division will send the draft policy to the Ministry of Public Administration within two days. After vetting, the policy will be issued, and committee restructuring must be completed within one month.
4. Community Health Centre Management through NGOs:
The Health Services Division will meet with NGOs and the NGO Affairs Bureau within a week to determine strategies for collaborative community health center management.
5. Public Hearings in All Government Offices:
The Cabinet Division will organize a meeting within a week with all service-providing ministries/divisions to institutionalize public hearings at regular intervals.
6. Amendment of RTI Act 2009 and Official Secrets Act 1923:
The Cabinet Division will draft a timeline to review and amend the Official Secrets Act, while the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will do the same for the Right to Information Act.
7. Transforming BBS into Bangladesh Statistical Commission:
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) will be restructured in line with World Bank-supported reforms and commission recommendations. The Statistics and Information Management Division will prepare a time-bound action plan.
8. Advancing Digital Governance and E-Services:
The ICT Division will develop and implement a timeline for integrating all government services into the citizen platform developed by the interim government. Ministries must submit action plans to the Cabinet Division and CAO within one month.
Monitoring and Next Steps:
The Principal Secretary directed all ministries and divisions to form implementation teams and initiate time-bound activities. A dedicated monitoring team under the Governance Innovation Unit (GIU), supervised by the Secretary to the CAO, will maintain ongoing coordination with ministries and provide technical support.
The Cabinet Division will also monitor progress. Similar meetings will continue regularly to review the implementation of broader reform agendas in phases.
According to the press release, various ministries have already undertaken numerous individual reform and development initiatives in recent months, totaling 1,061 activities across 54 ministries.