It is unfortunate that most civil society organizations have failed to recognize that these reforms could open new pathways for them -- creating fresh opportunities to empower citizens and strengthen the accountability of state institutions, ultimately shaping their own future governance agenda.
True judicial independence cannot rest on the discretion of one office, no matter how elevated.
It is all very well to chart out a pathway to reform, but it is in the implementation that the wheels hit the road, and it is here that the process lacks clarity and cohesion.
How BNP’s tactical chaos could trigger a national referendum. The more the party questions the legitimacy of the interim government, the more fraught the political situation becomes. This is something Bangladesh can ill afford
An orchestrated whisper campaign now paints Bangladesh’s July-Revolution youth as saboteurs of democracy. The allegation is as thin as it is dangerous, for it misunderstands both their mandate and the moment the nation inhabits.
The only meaningful item remaining on the reform agenda is whether an Upper House should be based on PR or not. Everything else can be sorted out without difficulty. We are closer to consensus than you think.
The public may want elections sooner rather than later. But elections without reform threaten to make things worse, not better.
