The government to be formed after the 13th national parliamentary election must prioritise transforming the state into an accountable, transparent and citizen-friendly system, said Citizens Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh Convener Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya on Tuesday.
He made the remarks while presenting a draft “Citizen Manifesto 2026: National Election and Expectations of Transformation” at a dialogue held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC) in Agargaon. The event was organised by Citizens Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh with support from Prapti and Dialogue Associates.
Dr Debapriya said the Liberation War was rooted in the aspiration to establish a sovereign republic ensuring equality, human dignity and social justice. The people’s participation, sacrifices and anti-discrimination ideals, he noted, formed the moral foundation of the nation.
Following independence, the goal was to build a democratic, just and participatory state, he said. However, despite economic progress over the past five decades, development has remained uneven and fragile.
He pointed to a deepening governance crisis over the last one and a half decades, marked by shrinking freedom of expression, institutionalised corruption, excessive centralisation of power and a steadily narrowing civic space.
Referring to the mass uprising of July 2024, Dr Debapriya said prolonged inequality, deprivation and governance failures ultimately triggered the movement. Led by students and citizens, the uprising was a direct response to authoritarianism, fear and a lack of accountability.
He said the events of 1971, 1990 and 2024 are not contradictory but represent a continuous struggle for social justice, human dignity and resistance to discrimination.
Describing the interim government’s assumption of responsibility and renewed discussions on state reform, justice, elections and civil rights as a turning point, he said the upcoming election raises critical questions. These include whether citizen aspirations will be reflected in party manifestos and whether political commitments will be implemented.
Highlighting the draft Citizen Manifesto, Dr Debapriya said public consultations revealed a shared demand for a just, secure, well-governed and egalitarian Bangladesh. Protecting national interests, ensuring citizens’ rights and advancing state reform must be treated with equal importance, he added.
He stressed the need for good governance, transparency and democratic accountability, calling for an independent judiciary, impartial law enforcement agencies and a professional, efficient civil service.
Identifying inequality as a structural challenge, he urged legal and institutional reforms to address it effectively.
He also emphasised that the voices of women, religious and ethnic minorities, and marginalised communities must be placed at the centre of policymaking.
Organisers said the initiative aims to prevent a return to past disillusionment and to sustain the momentum of ongoing reforms. As part of the process, consultations were held in all eight divisions and 15 youth workshops were organised, gathering views from nearly 1,500 stakeholders across 35 districts, with more than 150 organisations involved.