Romancing with Reform: Debt defaulters embedded in politics Rehman Sobhan
Debt defaulters have become embedded within the political system, creating structural barriers to reform, said eminent economist Rehman Sobhan.
He stressed that the challenges facing Bangladesh are not driven by individuals alone but by deeper systemic weaknesses that continue to obstruct meaningful change.
Speaking as a special guest at a session titled “Romancing with Reform: The Story of Bangladesh” on the final day of the 9th annual conference of the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling, Sobhan said reform is not a one-time legislative exercise but a continuous, multi-stage process.
According to him, reform begins with the enactment of laws, followed by the establishment of administrative structures, effective implementation, and ultimately evaluation of outcomes.
Sobhan observed that while political parties make ambitious promises during election campaigns, their commitment to implementing reforms remains uncertain.
He noted that historically, successful reforms in Bangladesh—such as those associated with the Six-Point Movement—gained momentum because they resonated with public aspirations and secured broad-based support.
In contrast, he said the current political environment lacks such mass engagement, and even party members are often unfamiliar with their own manifestos.
He also questioned the level of expertise among those involved in negotiating and designing reforms, arguing that without direct experience in government, it is difficult to understand the complexities of implementation.
“Understanding who supports or resists reform—and why—requires practical exposure to state institutions,” he said.
For many, Sobhan added, reform remains a theoretical concept. Drawing on his experience in the Planning Commission, he noted that passing laws is relatively easy compared to ensuring their effective execution.
Using police reform as an example, he said success should be measured through outcomes, such as whether citizens can easily file complaints at police stations.
Sobhan further said that reform proposals from institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are not new.
Governments, he said, often show initial progress to secure financial assistance, while development partners are also guided by their institutional priorities.
However, the long-term impact of such reforms has frequently been limited.
Citing judicial and budgetary reforms initiated in the 1990s, Sobhan said many initiatives have failed to deliver lasting results.
Key proposals, including merging revenue and development budgets and introducing performance-based budgeting, remain largely unimplemented despite decades of discussion.
He also pointed to inefficiencies in sectors such as health and education, where allocated funds often remain unspent despite recurring claims of budget shortages. This, he argued, reflects deeper governance failures.
While examination results may appear strong, actual skill levels and the quality of public services remain questionable, highlighting the need to assess how effectively state institutions function.
