Excessive control hinders businesses in Bangladesh: Khasru 

Excessive control is stifling business and trade in Bangladesh, BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said today (19 May).

"Compared to other countries, regulatory control in Bangladesh is disproportionately high. In the past, we've seen how such control has been exploited for corruption and looting. The more control you impose, the more room there is for misuse. We need to break free from this pattern," he said at a dialogue titled "Policy Reforms and the National Budget", organised by the Citizen's Platform for SDGs at a hotel in Gulshan on Monday.

"Our future economic model should be guided by the principle: 'We are open for business.' That should be the country's message to the world," he said.

The dialogue's chief guest was Special Assistant to the chief adviser Anisuzzaman Chowdhury while Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow at CPD, delivered the keynote presentation.

Khasru criticised the interim government, accusing it of ignoring the necessary steps for democratic transition.

"The current interim government is neglecting the critical actions required for democratic progress, pushing the country into a state of uncertainty. Under such conditions, no budget or economic policy can function effectively."

He continued, "It is the government's primary responsibility to steer Bangladesh toward democratic transformation. Right now, people are unsure about where the country is headed, how long the current government will remain in place, when elections will be held, and what direction the country will take after that. There is no clarity."

He also questioned the credibility of the budget being prepared, saying, "The upcoming budget is being built on a disputed GDP figure. What we are seeing is merely a continuation of the previous authoritarian government's budget framework, with no meaningful deviation. We must ask whether the current economic and global contexts are being adequately considered in this process."

Khasru also raised concerns over the interim government's unilateral approach to sensitive issues:

"The proposed humanitarian corridor with Myanmar is a political matter. How can such a major decision be taken without consulting stakeholders?"

Reflecting on Bangladesh's political history, he said, "People have been sacrificing for over 14-15 years to restore democratic governance through elections. Even as recently as last July, there were movements in this cause. Yet today, the interim government is doing everything except holding elections."

Calling for greater political tolerance, Khasru emphasised, "We must learn to be tolerant. Even if we disagree with others, we must respect their path. Without political reform alongside economic reform, progress is not possible. Therefore, it is essential that we move beyond confrontational politics."