Extortion, corruption remain pervasive issues, say citizens at public hearing

Despite a recent change in government, extortion and corruption remain pervasive issues in the country, according to participants at a public hearing held to gather input for a white paper on the country's economic situation.

The hearing, organised by an interim government-appointed committee, took place at a hotel in Chattogram city and brought together a diverse group of citizens, including academics, businessmen, and civil society representatives.

The citizens discussed various issues, including the difficulties in receiving citizen services, project implementation without public engagement, the issue of bribery in accessing citizen services, the self-identity and citizenship rights of indigenous people, the impact of tourism, and the enhancement of employment opportunities and skills for students.

The citizens further stated that in order to stimulate the country's economy, it is essential to create employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth. They pointed out that there are bureaucratic complexities in everything, from birth registration to passports, trade licences, and land registration. Due to these complexities, general people face not only hardships but also economic pressures.

During the public hearing, prominent economist and head of the committee Debapriya Bhattacharya said, "This cannot be the solution if we replace the ruler but do not change the politics. Those who have sacrificed themselves had a vision for state reform. If that is not achieved, we do not want to see the emergence of a new oppressor in place of an old one."

Debapriya, also a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, added, "We do not want a new syndicate in place of the old one. It cannot be just a change in politics or a change of rulers. Those who have sacrificed themselves had a vision for change and reform; that is what we are advocating. We do not see replacing one form of oppression with another as a viable alternative."

At the end of the discussion, Debapriya remarked, "It has emerged from your discussions that various branches of the state have become linked to corruption in one way or another. Those who are supposed to legislate have also become involved, and those responsible for enforcing the law have also engaged in corruption. Even those in uniform are implicated. This highlights the scale and extent of the social problems we are facing."

Among the members of the White Paper Preparation Committee present at the public hearing were Professor Mohammad Abu Yusuf, Professor Selim Raihan, Professor Sharmin Neelormi, Professor AKM Enamul Haque, Imran Matin, Kazi Iqbal, Ferdous Ara Begum and Toufiqul Islam Khan.

Opinions were expressed by various individuals, including educationist Muhammad Sikandar Khan, BSRM Managing Director Amer Ali Hossain, engineer Subhash Barua, former director of Chattogram Port Md Jafar Alam, president of the Chittagong Press Club Salahuddin Mohammad Reza, political leader Hasan Maruf Rumi, coordinator of the student movement Zubair Alam, leader of the hijra community Falguni Hijra, and indigenous student Pohela Chakma, among others from different professions.

To formulate a white paper on the current economic situation in Bangladesh, the interim government formed the committee on 28 August, led by Debapriya.

The committee is expected to submit a report with recommendations to the chief adviser within 90 days. To achieve this goal, public hearings are being organised in various districts. After Sylhet, the meeting was held in Chattogram.