Interim government can initiate reforms, elected government to execute

One hundred days is not a long time to evaluate the activities of a regular government. For this special type of government, we must be even more flexible. However, after taking office, an evaluation can be made of what responsibilities this government could have fulfilled and what it has actually done in those 100 days. Such an evaluation is needed to make the current government’s role more effective. This government has more opportunities to accomplish things compared to a regular government, because it does not have any political affiliations. If it wishes, it can take various initiatives for the public interest. Since this interim government has come to power through a popular uprising, expectations from it are high. They do not have to worry about elections. If they take the people's aspirations into account, they can accomplish significant work.

Due to the horrific oppression, irregularities, and corruption of the previous political government, there was widespread anger among the general public. It was this anger that led them to overthrow the past government, and they did not hesitate to risk their lives for it. Therefore, the current government must focus on public expectations from the very beginning. Since this government is not an elected one, it will not be able to implement many reform programs, even if it wants to. However, it can pave the way for reforms. Some reforms require a long period to implement, while others need an elected government to carry them out. Therefore, many reform programs cannot be implemented by the current interim government. However, it can lay the groundwork for reforms, and the elected government will implement the unfinished reforms.

After coming to power through a successful popular uprising, some of the tasks that should have been prioritized by this government are showing certain issues and weaknesses. One of the most important issues is creating a comprehensive list of those who were killed and injured during the movement. I refuse to accept that this task could not be completed within three months. If there had been an initiative, a transparent and complete list of the injured and deceased could definitely have been created within three months; but this has not yet been done. If, after taking office, an initiative had been taken by the administration to collect the list of the deceased and injured, this list would have already been created. This list is crucial because it is the state’s responsibility to arrange medical treatment and rehabilitation for them. Most of the students who were killed or injured were from working-class families.

The proportion of children from affluent and permanent urban families is small. Beyond that, a significant portion of those who were killed or injured are low-income, working-class people. When a member of such a family dies, the family falls into a dire situation. Many of the injured were the sole breadwinners of their families. Therefore, it was essential for the state to provide financial assistance or rehabilitation for these families; however, no such initiative has been observed yet. I cannot understand why there has been such delay in arranging for the rehabilitation of those who caused the fall of a government at the cost of their lives. After 100 days of the government’s tenure, we saw that those who were injured during the movement were protesting on the streets, demanding treatment from the hospitals. What could be more unfortunate than this? The injured and deceased from the movement should not have to go to the administration for rehabilitation. Instead, the administration should go to them. I believe that the failure to finalize the list of those who were killed or injured in the student movement and to make arrangements for their rehabilitation is a major shortcoming.

Workers in various places are taking to the streets demanding their overdue wages. My question is, why should workers be on the streets demanding their unpaid wages? Their wages are already very low, and if a worker has two or three months' worth of wages, or even more, unpaid, how will they manage their household? The Ministry of Labour had taken initiatives to address this issue. At the end of September, a meeting was held between the Ministry of Labour officials and factory owners, where it was decided that workers’ overdue wages would be paid by October 10. However, this was not done. Why are factory workers still protesting for their unpaid wages? The government must take responsibility for ensuring the payment of workers' overdue wages. Factory owners must be made to pay the workers. The failure to pay factory workers on time cannot be acceptable under any circumstances.

After the fall of the government, the law and order situation in the country deteriorated. Perhaps there was no one to prevent that at the time; however, even after 100 days since the interim government took office, various law and order issues are still prevalent. Crimes ranging from petty thefts to major offenses are taking place. The issue of political violence must also be addressed with seriousness. The issue that is troubling the general public the most is the unprecedented rise in the cost of living. For almost two years, high inflation has been prevailing in the domestic economy. Just when the post-COVID world economy was in the recovery phase, the Ukraine war began.

As a result, there has been a global upward trend in inflation. While most countries around the world have been able to bring inflation to a manageable level, this has not been the case in Bangladesh. According to the latest statistics, inflation has crossed into double digits, with food price inflation exceeding 12 per cent. Due to high inflation, people from all classes and professions are struggling. Particularly, low-income and fixed-income working-class people are in a state of distress as the prices of goods continue to rise. The outgoing government faced public outrage due to high inflation, and after the current government took office, no signs of controlling inflation have been seen in the past 100 days. Moreover, no visible initiatives to address this issue have been observed. If high inflation is not controlled and brought to a manageable level, public anger will only grow.

Several commissions have been formed with the aim of bringing reforms in various sectors. Many of the individuals included in these commissions are qualified in their respective fields. It is hoped that when the commissions publish their reports, measures will be taken based on their recommendations. However, at this moment, the most urgent priorities are to restore discipline in the financial sector, control the rising prices of goods, improve the law and order situation, and prepare the list of those killed and injured in the movement, along with arranging for their rehabilitation. The banking sector has been facing complex issues for a long time. Depositors are unable to withdraw the desired amounts of money, and most banks are suffering from liquidity crises. The amount of non-performing loans is close to 3 trillion taka, according to the latest figures. There are 60 banks operating in Bangladesh. A country like Bangladesh did not need so many banks; these banks were allowed to operate for the purpose of transferring public money into the pockets of a few individuals.

These banks were established to loot the people's money. Therefore, the entire banking sector must be reformed on a priority basis. In recent years, banking laws have been changed to serve the interests of certain interest groups, weakening this sector. These banking laws must be reviewed and appropriately reformed. The interim government is attempting to secure large loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. However, no country can become economically self-sufficient by borrowing from these institutions. The increase in gas and electricity prices in Bangladesh, as well as the adoption of environmentally damaging projects, has been done under the influence of World Bank and ADB project links. There needs to be a reduction in dependence on these institutions, and they must also be held accountable.

I believe that for the Awami League, it will be extremely difficult to recover from the situation where they have been rejected by the public and cornered. The leaders responsible for crimes such as murder, looting, smuggling, and torture must be investigated with specific charges and brought to justice. However, the tendency for blanket cases, which is being observed in various places, is unacceptable. The way these cases are being filed, most of them will not stand in court. We have witnessed a trend of mass filing of cases during the Awami League's tenure. There was a trade in arrests. That situation should no longer exist, but in reality, it seems that there has been little change in the conditions. Cases are being filed in a way that the general public does not believe in.

During the previous government's tenure, certain identified groups were given the opportunity to loot the country's resources. They extensively plundered the nation's assets and smuggled them abroad. It is absolutely crucial to take action to bring back the looted funds. Recovering these smuggled funds is not an easy task, but it is not impossible either. Therefore, steps must be taken. Bilateral agreements can be signed with the countries where the money has been smuggled to, which would enable us to bring the laundered funds back more easily. The state of the foreign currency reserves is still not healthy. Efforts must be made to increase the reserves and restore various institutions to normal functioning.

The interim government has stated that elections will be held once the reform process is completed, but delaying elections in the name of reforms may create suspicion and distrust among the general public. Therefore, the reforms that can be completed within a short time should be carried out, and arrangements for a proper election should be made quickly.

Anu Muhammad: Economist and retired professor, Department of Economics, Jahangirnagar University.