Civic
activism, including that by the
opposition political parties,
is needed to compel the government
to implement administrative reforms.
Some reform policies have already
been adopted though not implemented
and so, a consensus among the
political parties and the citizens
is a must to ensure the implementation.
The observations were made at
the first session of the daylong
regional consultation of the National
Policy Review Forum -- 2003 held
at Sylhet yesterday. Organised
by the Centre for Policy Dialogue
(CPD), The Daily Star and the
Prothom Alo, the session was on
"Administrative Reforms".
Speakers said administrative reforms
need political consensus since
the government of the day tends
to rule out the policies of the
previous one.
The dialogue criticised the government
for not implementing its election
pledges, thus making a mockery
of the voters' aspirations.
Political leaders make numerous
promises to their voters before
elections but forget them once
elected, the discussants pointed
out.
They said this cannot be allowed
anymore and stressed the need
for a common platform of all citizens
to continuously press the government
into implementing its pledges.
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, executive
director of the CPD, moderated
the discussion chaired by Treasurer
of Shahjalal University of Science
and Technology Mohammad Abdul
Aziz. Editor of The Daily Star
Mahfuz Anam made the welcome address
while Abdul Qaiyum, joint editor
of Prothom Alo, was also present.
Acting Vice-chancellor of Shahjalal
University of Science and Technology
(SUST) Prof. Mosle Uddin Tareque
in his speech as chief guest said,
"We are talking about administrative
reforms for the last 32 years
with no progress."
Many participants were highly
critical of the government for
not separating the judiciary from
the administration. They said
the government is deliberately
delaying the process on various
pretexts in violation of the timeframe
set by the Supreme Court.
Giving a grim picture of law and
order, former president of the
Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and
Industry Safwar Chowdhury said
the situation has been hampering
development.
He said corruption has engulfed
the society. "We need to
stamp it out," he said, demanding
an independent anti-corruption
commission.
Prof. Syed Akmal Mahmud of Sylhet
International University said
a mass movement is needed to fight
corruption.
"Although most of us have
become corrupted, there are still
some honest people and the situation
can be improved through movement."
Brig. Gen. Jubayer Siddiqui (rtd)
said the proposed citizen's committee
should be formed by non-political
persons.
"Unless we can do it involving
the local administration, police
and the people, the law and order
will not improve."
Cultural activist Hasanuzzaman
Chowdhury criticised the successive
governments for cancelling decisions
or projects taken by their predecessors.
Prof. Gourango Deb Roy of the
SUST said lawmakers stay in Dhaka,
totally detached from their constituency.
"They should keep close contacts
with the voters and raise their
demands in parliament," he
said.
Among others, businessman Mohibur
Rahman, lawyer EU Shahidul Islam,
Prof. Joinal Abedin, Prof. Akhterul
Islam, teachers Abu Hena Chowdhury
and Jayeda Sharmin Shathi spoke.
The participants also felt that
human rights and an independent
anti-corruption bureau will have
no value unless the Special Powers
Act is scrapped.
The draft taskforce report presented
at the consultation meeting said
the present government has failed
to implement most of its election
pledges. The 100-day programme
of the government also failed
to achieve the desired level.
It also said the government has
drawn up some reform policies,
but no initiative can be seen
to implement them.
"In this regard, the report
observed that the opposition parties
could put pressure on the government,
but we did not see anything like
that," it added.
