Bangladesh’s interim govt publishes book setting out reform initiatives

The CAO says about 84 percent of the reform measures have already been implemented

The interim government has published a book detailing the legal, institutional and administrative reforms it says it has undertaken since taking office in August 2024.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Chief Advisor's Office (CAO) said reform commissions made up of experts were formed soon after the government assumed power, with their recommendations forming the basis for a wide-ranging reform programme.

The statement said that over the past 18 months the government has enacted or amended around 130 laws and taken more than 600 executive decisions, adding that about 84 percent of the reform measures had already been implemented.

According to the CAO, the reforms have led to progress in the economy and in foreign relations. It cited an economic partnership agreement with Japan that has granted duty-free access to around 7,400 Bangladeshi products, and talks with the United States that reduced reciprocal tariff rates from 37 percent to 20 percent.

The CAO also referred to the rescheduling of Chinese loans, improvements in health infrastructure and upgrades to the country’s flood forecasting system.

On anti-corruption efforts, it said hundreds of politicians and officials linked to the previous administration had faced corruption cases, with assets worth billions of dollars seized or confiscated.

The government also pointed to tighter oversight of the banking sector, greater transparency in procurement across 42 ministries, and the granting of full autonomy to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Addressing law enforcement reforms, the CAO said more than 1,200 officers had been suspended during investigations and that human rights–based training had been introduced. It added that the Rapid Action Battalion had been restructured and retained as a special intervention force.

On the judiciary, the CAO said all courts had been placed under the administrative authority of the Supreme Court and a merit-based process introduced for appointing judges.

The statement said politically motivated cases against media outlets had been withdrawn and that outlets previously banned for political reasons had resumed operations, adding that no media organisation linked to the former government had been shut down.

It noted that after seven months of consultations, a draft “July Charter” had been prepared and was awaiting approval through a referendum as a basis for constitutional reform.

Describing the reforms as the first step towards a more citizen-focused system of governance, the CAO acknowledged that the process was ongoing, saying that “16 years of damage cannot be undone in 18 months”.