Reforming political parties crucial: Fahmida
Staff Reporter :
Eminent economist and Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Fahmida Khatun, stated on Thursday that immediate actions are essential to provide relief to the public. She also emphasised that reforms must address the country’s long-standing issues.
“Talk of state reform had raised our expectations and aspirations, but it was disconnected from reality.
Immediate steps are necessary to ease the public’s hardships, and reforms need to tackle the accumulated issues,” she remarked during a discussion on “Dialogue for Democratic Reconstruction:
The Issue of Constitutional Institutions,” held at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies in Eskaton Garden, the capital.
Khatun criticised the country’s development narrative under the previous government’s 15-year rule, labelling it hollow.
“The institutional decay over the last 15 years is the root cause of today’s economic vulnerability.
Their development narrative was nothing but empty promises – it was a system of inequality where job creation remained stagnant,” she added.
The event, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies, featured 25 speakers who discussed various aspects of constitutional institutions, including political influence, the Election Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Public Service Commission, and the role of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Zahed Ur Rahman, a political analyst and adjunct faculty member at Independent University, stated, “Our movement was aimed at the downfall of Sheikh Hasina. After the mass uprising, we hoped to turn it into a revolution. Our expectations have also grown.”
Zahir Uddin Swapon, an adviser to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, added, “An interim government can only replace a democratic one through a structured process.
Many believe reforms can be achieved instantly by imposing an intellectual framework onto the public’s mindset, but there’s a substantial gap between this perception and reality.”
Mojibur Rahman Manju, the member secretary of the AB Party, emphasised, “To change the system and culture, we need to aim for a revolution. A shift in mindset is crucial – without this, reforms will fall short.”
Zonayed Saki, coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon Bangladesh, argued, “Our mindset has already shifted-that’s why 2,000 people sacrificed their lives.
However, to foster a more widespread change in perspective, the system must evolve. Only then will individual viewpoints change. This requires a transformation of the state itself.”
Barrister Shihab Uddin Khan, a Supreme Court advocate, suggested, “The complex and heavy language in the constitution has kept the nation divided, and this must be simplified.”
Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, executive president of Gono Forum, pointed out, “Reforming political parties is key, as collectively they have weakened the institutions.”
Muhammad Abdul Mazid, former chairman of the National Board of Revenue, highlighted, “If appointments and oversight are conducted through constitutional commissions, the government will not be able to monopolise the state or reclaim institutions.
Once a judicial oversight body is in place, it will help reduce some of the divisions. We cannot overcome our ongoing contradictions unless these reforms are implemented.”
Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of SHUJAN and head of the Electoral System Reform Commission, concluded, “People didn’t take to the streets just to demand Sheikh Hasina’s departure. The desire for change has deeply rooted itself in the hearts of the people.”