A yes vote is only the beginning, not the end. The real work of implementation of the reform agenda is what matters. Similarly, we should not interpret a no vote to suggest that the voters are against reform or that the reform agenda dies there.
As with the constitution, good principles can only help if properly applied in practice. In the long run, the verdict of history on the interim government will depend on the ability of its successors
Now, at any moment, a mob can be summoned and the state paralyzed. The potential that emerged after Hasina’s fall is now impossible. This country will become a playground for fallen Indians and Chinese.
Bangladesh faces simultaneous pressure from the IMF program and revenue reforms. Currently, effective PFM reform is not just a development strategy -- it is essential for economic stability.
The sooner our politics and our voters align with this demand for structural change, the sooner Bangladesh's power structure reforms will begin their sustainable journey. Mamdani's victory kindles our hope that in the near future people-oriented politics will also shine in our land.
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.
