Rangpur: Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya has emphasized the necessity for collective efforts to ensure that ongoing reforms remain sustainable following the upcoming national elections. "As citizens, we must tell our political leaders what we expect after the Jatiya Sangsad polls. We should treat the elections as an opportunity to strengthen and continue the reforms underway in the democratic process," he stated.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr Debapriya made these remarks while moderating a regional consultative meeting of the Citizen's Platform under its Pre-Election Initiative at the Begum Rokeya auditorium of RDRS Bangladesh. The event took place on Saturday afternoon in Rangpur city, where the economist also spoke to reporters. The consultative sessions are being organized in eight divisional cities and 18 universities across the country to help prepare a 'Citizens' Manifesto' that represents the hopes and aspirations of people from all walks of life.
Participants in the Rangpur meeting included teachers, students, rights activists, lawyers, development workers, journalists, cultural activists, farmers, ethnic minority representatives, third-gender citizens, and leaders of small political parties from the division. Dr Debapriya, a leading macro-economist and public policy analyst, noted a widespread consensus across the country on the need for elections. However, he expressed concerns about the durability of potential changes. "What guarantee do we have that the changes will be sustainable once the elections are held?" he questioned.
To highlight the expectations of disadvantaged communities in the reform, judicial, and electoral processes, the Citizen's Platform has begun preparing the Citizens' Manifesto to ensure their active participation ahead of the elections. According to a recent CPD survey, the impartiality, capacity, and security of the Election Commission and the administration remain top concerns in national election-related discussions, sentiments echoed at the Rangpur meeting.
"When people talk about elections, the first demand is impartial administration," Dr Debapriya said. "In addition, the Election Commission must be impartial, competent, and courageous." Discussions at the meeting also covered issues such as flood and drought management, the Teesta Master Plan, strengthening disaster resilience, expanding subsidies in agriculture and the economy, addressing unemployment, environmentally sustainable development, social security, women's rights, minority protection, freedom of expression, implementation of the July Charter, restoring democratic practices in political parties, and improving transparency, accountability, and law and order.
Dr Debapriya underscored that the northern region faces specific crises, including unemployment, weak disaster management, inequality, mismanagement, and infrastructural deficiencies in the education and health sectors. CPD research indicates that SDG indicators in Rangpur and adjoining areas lag behind the national average, reinforcing demands for their inclusion in election pledges. He stressed that all political parties must engage from now to meet public expectations from the next government.
In his concluding remarks, CPD Distinguished Fellow Professor Mostafizur Rahman identified good governance, justice, and a corruption-free environment as the key demands of citizens from the future government. "I firmly believe that such regional dialogues will help make elections more inclusive. The July-August movement proved that change is possible. Politicians must have learned from that experience," he added.