Eminent economist and Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Chairman Rehman Sobhan has raised serious doubts about meaningful reforms within the limited tenure of Bangladesh’s interim government, which has only six months remaining.
Speaking as the chief guest at the launch of ‘Bangladesh Reform Watch’, a new civil society initiative, Rehman Sobhan said, “Even after 54 years of independence, we have failed to develop an acceptable and effective mechanism for implementing reforms in this country.”
So far, a total of 82 reforms have been identified without setting their priorities or the execution sequence and they are yet to be made public.
He warned that time is running out. “With just six months left, how can reforms be implemented if the process hasn’t even been finalized yet? We still don’t know what specific reforms are on the table,” he noted.
The session was moderated by Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convener of the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs and CPD Distinguished Fellow.
Criticizing the vague and non-committal approach of some political groups, Sobhan noted, “Reforms don’t happen just because 30 parties sign a document. Implementation requires executive orders, ordinances, and dedicated budgets.”
He also questioned the seriousness of political commitments. “Some parties are saying they won’t contest elections without reforms — but what reforms, and how? We still have no clarity.”
Sobhan pointed out that a robust parliamentary process — where reform proposals are debated and passed — is virtually nonexistent in Bangladesh’s political culture. “Even after all these years, we don’t have a functioning system where reforms are passed through in-depth parliamentary discussion,” he said.
He stressed the importance of institutional engagement and collective action. “Can we now come together and work institutionally to make reforms a reality?” he asked.
Turning to civil society, Sobhan expressed disappointment with its limited engagement. “The role of civil society can’t just be about organizing seminars or publishing papers. It must also include relentless questioning, oversight, and advocacy,” he said.
He called on civil society actors to go beyond their comfort zones and take a more proactive stance: “If civil society steps out of the seminar rooms and engages more directly with the people, the impact will be much greater.”