[🇧🇩] Reforms carried out by the interim/future Govts.

[Saif]

‘Won’t leave’ reform process to elected parliament, says Nahid

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convenor Nahid Islam has said his party “will not hand over” the reform process outlined in the July Charter to the next elected parliament. Instead, he insisted that the charter’s implementation must take place under the interim government. Speaking

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

‘Won’t leave’ reform process to elected parliament, says Nahid

bdnews24.com
Published :
Aug 02, 2025 21:07
Updated :
Aug 02, 2025 21:07


National Citizen Party (NCP) Convenor Nahid Islam has said his party “will not hand over” the reform process outlined in the July Charter to the next elected parliament.

Instead, he insisted that the charter’s implementation must take place under the interim government.

Speaking at the party’s Banglamotor office in Dhaka on Saturday, Nahid said they had long been demanding that the charter be given a legal foundation and enforced immediately.

“The next election must be held on the basis of the July Charter,” he added. “We won’t leave the reform process to the elected parliament. Instead, the next parliament and Constituent Assembly must be formed in line with that charter.”

The NCP leader said the government had informed them that the July Proclamation would be made public on Aug 5 -- an initiative the party welcomes.

Nahid noted that the party has also demanded a resolution on the July Charter by Aug 5.

While he said most issues have been agreed upon, a few points of disagreement remain.

He criticised the National Consensus Commission for not clarifying its stance on the unresolved issues or outlining how the charter would be implemented.

According to him, a clear mechanism must be established before all parties can sign the document.

Nahid announced that the NCP’s ongoing nationwide “July March” will conclude on Sunday afternoon with a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar.

He said, “At that event, we’ll present our programme and outline our vision for a new Bangladesh.

“Alongside the demand for the July Charter, we’ll call for judicial reform and a new Constitution.”

As one of the leading figures of the July Uprising, Nahid recalled last year’s Aug 3 declaration at the same Shaheed Minar, where the demand for toppling the Awami government and dismantling the “fascist” system was first announced.

“That declaration was aimed at ending ‘fascism’ and laying the foundation for a new political settlement,” said Nahid.

“We’ve said in multiple NCP gatherings that while the ‘fascist’ government may have fallen, the ‘fascist’ system hasn’t. That’s why our struggle to build a new Bangladesh must continue,” he added.​

 

[Saif]

BNP presented nearly 99pc of the reforms long ago: Tarique Rahman

BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said that nearly 99 per cent of the reforms the current government is talking about were already presented to the nation by the BNP a long time ago. He made these remarks today, Saturday afternoon, while addressing the National Council of the Doctors’...

en.prothomalo.com

BNP presented nearly 99pc of the reforms long ago: Tarique Rahman
Staff Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 09 Aug 2025, 16: 34

Tarique Rahman addresses the National Council of the Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB) on 9 August Prothom Alo

BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said that nearly 99 per cent of the reforms the current government is talking about were already presented to the nation by the BNP a long time ago.

He made these remarks today, Saturday afternoon, while addressing the National Council of the Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB) as the chief guest.

Joining the event virtually from London, Tarique Rahman said, “We put forward 31 points. Today, the reforms being discussed, the reform commissions formed by the current government, and the opinions being shared by political parties—all of these discussions revolve around proposals of which 99 per cent were presented to the nation by the BNP two and a half years ago.”

Tarique Rahman said the DAB council proves that the claim of absence of democratic practice within political parties is not entirely true.

He added that late President Ziaur Rahman introduced multi-party democracy in the country, and Khaleda Zia steered the nation towards parliamentary democracy.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of the present generation to keep that democratic tradition alive and gradually strengthen its foundation, the BNP acting chairman noted.

Addressing physicians, Tarique Rahman said that among the BNP’s 31 points, the proposals related to the health sector require active participation from the medical community to be implemented.

“The government alone cannot implement these. Neither party MPs nor leaders will be able to do so. Your cooperation is needed—every member of DAB, every councilor must play an active role, otherwise it will not be possible.”

Tarique Rahman noted that over the past 15 years, thousands of people have been killed or subjected to violence, countless have been injured, and many have gone missing. The people’s expectation, he said, is for a peaceful Bangladesh.

“If we all work together to fulfill that expectation, it will certainly be possible to build a different Bangladesh. The country belongs to everyone, so building it is everyone’s responsibility,” he added.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also spoke at the event as a special guest.

The council was chaired by BNP Chairperson’s Adviser and former secretary Ismail Zabihullah.

Other speakers included BNP chairperson’s adviser Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and BNP’s central education secretary and Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh Open University (BOU), Professor ABM Obaidul Islam, among others.​

 

[Saif]

246 more reform proposals to be implemented soon

A further 246 recommendations from 10 commissions (excluding constitutional commissions) have been identified as immediately implementable.

en.prothomalo.com

246 more reform proposals to be implemented soon
Special Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 14 Aug 2025, 20: 41

Today, the Council of Advisers held a meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus PID

A further 246 recommendations from 10 commissions (excluding constitutional commissions) have been identified as immediately implementable. This brings the total number of recommendations marked for immediately implementable to 367, of which 37 have already been implemented.

This information was disclosed on Thursday at a meeting of the Advisory Council held at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka. The meeting was chaired by the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus.

Later, at a press conference held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, briefed the media on the meeting’s discussions.

The Press Secretary stated that last week it was reported that 121 recommendations were under implementation—of these, 16 had already been implemented, 14 had been partially implemented, and the rest were still in progress. It was reported today that that an additional 246 recommendations are under implementation, as informed to the Advisory Council.

According to the Press Secretary, 82 of the new 246 recommendations relate to labor reforms. Labour Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said many of these were in the final stages of implementation, and some had already been implemented. The Women’s Affairs Reform Commission has 71 recommendations listed for implementation. In addition, there are 37 related to local government, 33 to health, and 23 to the Ministry of Information.

The Chief Adviser and other advisers at the meeting emphasised putting more effort into implementing these recommendations. Progress on this will be reported at the next meeting.

Committee to investigate purchase of surveillance equipment

The press conference also revealed that a probe committee has been formed to investigate the purchase of surveillance equipment during the tenure of the previous government, allegedly used to monitor citizens. Fayez Ahmad Taiyyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, has been appointed head of the committee. The committee will investigate the total cost, source, and details of these purchases.

Regarding the surveillance equipment, the Press Secretary said preliminary reports indicate that much of it was purchased from Israel. The committee will investigate the entire matter. There is also an ongoing investigation into the purchase of lethal weapons for the police.

At the press conference, the Press Secretary said the Chief Adviser’s visit to Malaysia had been fruitful and highlighted various aspects of the trip.

Also present at the press conference were the Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Mazumder, and Senior Assistant Press Secretary Fayez Ahmed.​

 

[Bilal9]

Exporters to receive payments faster under new Bangladesh Central Bank policy​

 

[Saif]

Is ‘state reform’ only rhetoric for govt: TIB

TIB said this in a press release issued in response to the Advisory Council’s final approval of the Anti-Corruption Commission Ordinance, 2025.

en.prothomalo.com

ACC Ordinance draft
Is ‘state reform’ only rhetoric for govt: TIB

Staff Correspondent Dhaka
Updated: 28 Nov 2025, 23: 02

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Friday questioned whether the state reforms are just a rhetoric for the government.

TIB said this in a press release issued in response to the Advisory Council’s final approval of the Anti-Corruption Commission Ordinance, 2025.

TIB expressed deep disappointment and indignation over the final approval of the ACC Ordinance by the Advisory Council, trampling on important strategic recommendations such as the formation of a "Selection and Review Committee" intended to ensure transparency, accountability and effectiveness in its activities along with the highest level of institutional independence.

This is expected to overcome the negative image of ACC which has become infamous as a tool for implementing the agenda of only harassing opponents at the behest of the ruling elite.

The exclusion of this provision from the final ordinance, despite being included in the July Charter with the complete consensus of all political parties and the consent of the relevant government interlocutors as a result of persistent advocacy by TIB, is not only disappointing, but also indicates that like almost all other cases of reform proposals the state reform agenda has become hostage to the conspiracies of anti-reform circles within the government.

Iftekharuzzaman noted that the ACC Reform Commission had recommended the formation of a “Selection and Review Committee” considering the experience of the past two decades, the opinions of all stakeholders, international best practices, and the political and bureaucratic context of Bangladesh in order to ensure that the ACC does not continue to function as a tool of protection of those in power and harass political or other opponents,

He said, “This proposal was made to overcome the dire situation of ACC as the institution has been suffering from a lack of public trust since its inception, as a puppet of vested quarters, it has become a tool of protection for those in power and harassment of opponents. It is regrettable that the government has failed to understand the strategic value of this recommendation to transform the ACC into a truly accountable, independent, and impartial institution through half-yearly reviews, public hearings, and recommendations by the proposed committee. For a government responsible for state reforms, this is a self-contradictory and anti-reform precedent.”

Iftekharuzzaman further said, "The matter is even more disappointing because according to reliable sources, at least seven Advisors have opposed this proposal at the Cabinet meeting. Yet they know that all the political parties that signed the July Charter have fully agreed on this provision. Before creating such a bad precedent of violating the July Charter, why the government does not realise that through this the Government is by itself actually encouraging political parties to violate the July Charter? Why then unprecedented bloodletting sacrifices were made? What kind of state reform is it that blocks the way to effectively curb corruption?"

The draft of the ordinance that TIB had the opportunity to review seemed to be in some ways of a higher standard than the existing law for which the organisation commends the government.

However, the TIB Executive Director has expressed deep disappointment and regret as according to reliable sources, in addition to the mentioned issue several other important strategic recommendations on which political consensus was achieved have been omitted. This can be nothing but a corruption-enabling and anti-reform stance of vested interests and influential quarters within the government.​

 

[Saif]

Implementing so many reforms may be difficult for elected govt: Planning adviser

Planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud said it may be somewhat difficult for an elected government to fully implement all these reforms. “We believe the interim government implemented a large number of reforms, many of which were high-end or ambitious. I hope that most of the reforms, or at least...

en.prothomalo.com

Implementing so many reforms may be difficult for elected govt: Planning adviser

Staff Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 01 Dec 2025, 19: 54

Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud speaks after Monday's meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).Courtesy: The planning ministry

Planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud said it may be somewhat difficult for an elected government to fully implement all these reforms.

“We believe the interim government implemented a large number of reforms, many of which were high-end or ambitious. I hope that most of the reforms, or at least their essence, will be adopted," he added.

Wahiduddin Mahmud made these remarks to journalists after today’s meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

Wahiduddin Mahmud further said, “We are leaving behind many ordinances. For example, there is an ordinance to make the judiciary independent. The new government will certainly review whether the judiciary has been given too much independence. In some cases, this may feel uncomfortable.”

The planning adviser explained that making the judiciary fully independent means that the law ministry no longer controls many matters. The judiciary has become autonomous. These are significant reforms.

During this time, Wahiduddin Mahmud highlighted various sectoral reform committees, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), procurement policies, and other reforms. He expressed hope that the next National Parliament will review these ordinances and turn them into laws.

Wahiduddin Mahmud also noted that problems with project directors remain. The challenge is that now few people want to become project directors, and contractors are also less enthusiastic.

He added, “From what I have heard, corruption has not decreased significantly, and extortion still occurs.”

At today’s ECNEC meeting, a total of 17 projects were approved, with a total cost of Tk 153.83 billion.

Of this, government funding amounts to Tk 94.51 billion, project loans total Tk 56.10 billion, and the implementing agencies’ own funding is Tk 3.79 billion.

The meeting was held at the NEC Conference Hall in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar under the chairmanship of chief adviser and ECNEC Chairperson Professor Muhammad Yunus. Among the approved projects, 13 are new, and 5 are revised.​