Crises have worsened despite expectations after July Uprising, experts say

Expectations of improved services and governance that emerged after the July Uprising remain unmet, with experts warning that corruption, harassment and financial hardship have instead worsened. 

The observations came at a seminar organised by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) on Monday, titled "Real Economy and Psychological State at the Household Level." 

The event, held virtually, featured a presentation of survey findings by PPRC Executive Chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman, with discussants including Bangladesh Enterprise Institute President Humayun Kabir, also former ambassador of Bangladesh to the US, and socio-political analyst Altaf Parvez.

Humayun Kabir said the expectations that came about following the uprising had not been fulfilled, noting that people continue to face corruption and barriers to justice.

"Before, if you gave money, you could get some service from the police. Now police say to go to the army, the army tells people to go to court," he said, adding, "Corruption is still afflicting people just as it did before. People want to be free from this cycle of corruption… Justice remains out of reach for the common people."

Altaf Parvez observed that harassment has increased, particularly in the absence of effective local government and weak national governance. 

He said fear and insecurity have grown among women and minorities, extortion has risen, employment opportunities have decreased, and access to healthcare abroad has become more difficult, while frustration with false cases has mounted.

Altaf also claimed students remain out of classrooms and are being kept on the streets.

"After the Liberation War and two uprisings, people are still struggling to survive. There is a cultural coordination that is inciting hatred and malice from above," he added.

"A national culture of inaction has been created," he said.

Citing survey findings, Altaf noted that 54% of people were unwilling to give up despite hardships, but 46% no longer trusted the current system. 

He said corruption and the pursuit of money had become key drivers of social status, but people were now prioritising good governance and individual ethics over party loyalty.

Independent journalist and doctoral fellow at Georgia State University, USA, Asif Bin Ali said change must begin at the cultural level.

"Here, no work is done normally. You need a phone call from somewhere. It is not simply bypassing the process, but reflects a deeper problem. In this case, young people must come forward," he said.

The PPRC survey, published in August, found that about 20% of families had experienced financial crises in the past year, mainly due to medical costs (67.4%) and loan repayments (27%).

It also recorded a troubling pattern of bribery and extortion.

Although the overall number of families paying bribes declined from 8.54% before August 2024 to 3.69% afterwards, payments to certain groups increased.

Bribes to police rose from 31.77% to 39.37%, to political leaders and activists from 24.98% to 33.13%, and to local thugs from 12.71% to 16.11%. In the case of courts, the rate rose slightly from 7.73% to 8.96%.

In contrast, payments to government offices fell from 52.34% to 46.76%, and to local government representatives from 28.81% to 13.22%.

Hossain Zillur Rahman said the findings also reflected a sharp divide in optimism: while 62% of the top 20% of families were hopeful about the future, only 24% of the bottom 20% expressed similar views.