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People worried at bad governance

Ex-CJ Habibur laments graft, partisanship

Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh appears to be in the grip of swindlers, Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman said yesterday, referring to a lack of good governance in most sectors.
"People today are seriously worried about irregularities and partisanship in the processes of admissions, recruitment, and ten-
der," he said at the publication ceremony of a report titled "The State of Governance in Bangladesh".
Also a former chief adviser to a caretaker government, Justice Rahman, questioned how a talent-based administration could be established when one has to count Tk3 lakh to get a class IVjob.
Referring to the economic successes of China, he said, "I think a talent-based administration — not the political cadres — is behind the rise of China."
The Institute of Good Governance (IGS) of Brae University published the report, and the ceremony was held in the auditorium of Journalism Training and Research Initiative (Jatri) in the capital.
The report included policy research findings about the country's energy crisis, food security, digital Bangladesh, and migration of workers to foreign countries.
It said Bangladesh has good policies and regulations, but lacks effective implementation. The government also takes rather populist and short-term plans in important sectors, which are not sustainable in the longrun.
"Institutions in Bangladesh are not working. There is a lack of commitment to reforming the institutions," said Irum Ali, editorofthe report.
Addressing the audience as the chief guest, former chief justice Habibur Rahman said since the independence of the country, it has become difficult for the bureaucracy to control pro-ruling party officials.
"As a result, system loss in the public service sector has been increasing continuously."
The function of a government is to uphold public interest, not private ones, and that requires having a skilled administration. However, it has been seen in the last forty years that governments with two-thirds majority tend to run amok, he noted.
It would be quite disappointing if the members of parliament only say 'yes' or 'no' in the House, leaving the responsibility of framing laws to someone else, he said.
Stating that the constitution of the country has been violated
since the independence, the former chief justice said traditionally the general secretaries of ruling parties are appointed as the local government minister, who usually concentrate on partisan interests rather than public interest.
"Now, power of the MPs in local government institutions is being increased beyond imagination," Habibur Rahman pointed out, urging all to adhere to the constitution, and to make the administration effective.
The report said private sector participation in the energy sector is being encouraged, but it lacks a regulatory mechanism. Right people are also not being posted to right places in the bureaucracy, and that ultimately making it inefficient, the report added.
IGS Chief of Programme Christina Rozario said the government has a number of social safety net programmes, but the ultra poor people often do not get the benefit of those. There are also much irregularities in government land distribution to the landless, she said.
The government wants to create a digital Bangladesh and framed the ICT Act, but institutions concerned actually do not reflect that they own the idea, she said adding, the concept appears as more of a technical issue, rather than an issue of taking the benefits of technology to the people.
On workers' migration, the report said the cost of getting overseas jobs is very high and jobseekers are harassed in the migration process, and at workplaces. There is a serious lack of regulation to protect migrant workers who contribute to the national economy immensely, it said.
BRAC University Pro-vicechancellor Md Golam Samdani Fakir, and IGS Director Manzoor Hasan also spoke at the event.