Dhaka: Labour and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (retd) Dr. M Sakhawat Hussain emphasized the critical role of civil society in maintaining the momentum of reform initiatives introduced by the interim government. Speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the “Bangladesh Reform Tracker” by the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, he acknowledged the challenges faced by the government but highlighted the foundational work achieved.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr. Hussain noted the significant structural and administrative hurdles encountered after assuming office, citing a weakened state apparatus and limited institutional capacity. Despite these challenges, the government demonstrated its commitment to reform by establishing reform commissions and the National Consensus Commission, even in the face of time constraints and resistance from vested interests. He stressed the importance of political parties continuing the reform process and highlighted labour law reforms as a major achievement, undertaken with input from the International Labour Organization and in discussions with the European Union and US trade delegations. These reforms are expected to have lasting positive effects.
Debapriya Bhattacharya, convenor of the Citizen’s Platform and distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), presided over the event. He emphasized that reforms require active citizen participation to be effective and sustainable. The Bangladesh Reform Tracker will monitor the implementation and progress of government reform measures.
The event featured several notable speakers, including Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh Sonali Dayaratne, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) founder and Chairman Professor Rehman Sobhan, and Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah, among others. Election Commissioner Sanaullah highlighted the need for trust, citizen engagement, and structural reforms to ensure credible and inclusive elections. He emphasized that public trust in institutions has weakened and must be restored for further consolidation and growth.
Sanaullah described electoral reforms as significant, with steps taken to regulate campaign expenditure, reduce poster pollution, and ensure representation of marginalized groups. He praised initiatives aimed at enhancing transparency through public scrutiny of candidate declarations and digital monitoring mechanisms. Sustainable electoral reform, he noted, depends on collective political will, active citizen participation, and strong institutional resilience.