Bureaucrats in Bangladesh 'inherently resistant to reform': Asif Nazrul
“How will the country move forward with such a stagnant bureaucracy?” he questioned.
Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Adviser Asif Nazrul today (2 February) said that bureaucrats in Bangladesh are "inherently resistant to reform."
While speaking as a special guest at a book launch event in the capital, the adviser remarked that bureaucrats consider becoming an officer to be the greatest achievement of their lives, but once they become officers, they lack the sense of responsibility and duty that should accompany the position.
Speaking about bureaucratic inertia, Asif said, "I do not know why this happens, and whether it is their personal fault or a fault of our system. I used to shout and protest, but instead, I would get scolded. There were times when my eyes filled with tears, wondering why you did not do this, why you did not sign the file for so long."
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Sharing his experience of working in government, he expressed frustration over bureaucratic stagnation and the inability to adapt to modern technology.
"How will the country move forward with such a stagnant bureaucracy? After working in government, this concern will always stay with me," he said.
Asif also compared the working style of bureaucrats with the pace of work of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
"The entire office of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus seems to operate on WhatsApp. He makes corrections on WhatsApp, and work gets done within half an hour. Yet government officials aged 29 or 30 are not comfortable using WhatsApp for official communication or sending documents. They do not understand anything without files," he said.
Addressing government officials at the event, he said, "You are not just clerks who must work within rigid rules. You are officers. Officers must have independent judgment and authority. If your intentions are honest, show meetings on back dates if needed for the sake of work, but the work must be done."
During the event, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan strongly criticised the culture of politically tagging administrative officials.
She said the administration is now divided by labels such as "they belong to that side" or "they belong to this side".
"Promotions or stagnation are decided based on these tags, which is discouraging talented officers," she added.
