Government must prioritise the qualitative restructuring in five departments
IT is a matter of concern that five major sectors in the country are in a fragile state due to widespread inefficiency, despite possessing a massive workforce.
They are Primary Education, Bangladesh Police, Health, Family Planning, and Railways. These are all major government sectors.
According to a newspaper report, structural weaknesses, managerial inefficiencies, and shortcomings in service delivery within these vital public sectors did not emerge overnight.
It is the result of long-standing issues, such as the politicization of state institutions, administrative corruption and irregularities.
The government has recently increased the salaries and allowances of administrative staff to boost their morale. But such measures alone cannot bring about the necessary change.
Instead, priority must be urgently given to improving the quality of these departments through well-conceived reforms, merit-based recruitment, and strict accountability.
Reportedly, deficiencies in the quality of teaching methods and a shortage of skilled teachers have been identified as the primary issues at the primary education level.
Therefore, the core problem in this sector is not a lack of infrastructure or technological teaching methods.
There is a scarcity of teachers skilled enough to effectively teach key subjects like Bangla, English, and Mathematics.
To ensure public safety, the police force currently has 220,500 personnel, and the government is already planning to recruit an additional 14,000 members. This expansion of the workforce lacks proper control and planning.
Regarding the internal security situation, Bangladesh ranks 117th out of 163 countries. Therefore, before recruiting new members, existing infrastructural deficiencies must be identified and addressed.
The crisis in the health sector is arguably the most complex. By 2025, around 70 million people have faced financial hardship due to medical expenses.
The weaknesses of the healthcare system are evident even during constant emergency situations; currently, outbreaks of measles and dengue are further complicating the situation.
While infrastructure has been developed and personnel are available within the Health and Family Planning Department, their deployment is often dictated by project-based planning rather than optimal placement.
Bangladesh Railway is arguably the most disappointing sector.
In recent times, approximately Tk 88,000 crore has been invested in the railway’s development, covering the construction of new lines, the procurement of engines and coaches, and the modernization of signaling systems.
Despite this, the sector continues to incur losses.
Although the problems facing these five departments differ, their weaknesses share certain common characteristics.
Therefore, instead of pursuing isolated, sector-specific initiatives, the government needs to establish a unified framework for institutional reform.
Merit, skill, and professionalism should take precedence over political considerations in recruitment and promotion. Institutional mechanisms to combat corruption must be established.
