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Published : 26 Jul 2025, 08:55 PM
Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed says leadership now demands a mix of soft hands and a stern voice to ensure work gets done amid the prevailing circumstances in Bangladesh.
During a discussion at a book launch event at Dhaka’s CIRDAP auditorium on Saturday, he said: “There has certainly been a breach of the law, and the processes have been destroyed as well. But the people remain unchanged.
“Many say just remove everyone, but that’s not possible. That’s why we have to stroke their heads as well as scold them to get things done.”
“The interim government wants a political government to take over quickly and provide direction,” he said.
The event was organised for the launch of the book “Economy, Governance, and Power: Narratives of Lived Realities” written by former caretaker government advisor Hossain Zillur Rahman.
The finance advisor said, “Around 80 percent of the banking sector’s funds have been depleted, and according to the IMF, it will take $35 billion to restructure it. Right now, there are no strong institutions in the country.”
Emphasising the need for reforms, he said: “Bringing good governance is extremely difficult. The prime minister and members of parliament have no checks and balances on their powers. Without institutional reform, no matter how many reforms are attempted, they will be fruitless.”
“There is also a need for reform within political parties. Everyone must realise that development is not possible without politics and a political settlement.”
Speaking at the discussion, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said: “There is no good governance or control anywhere. There has been no change in the police.”
“After the autocrat’s fall, corruption has increased in the country. Just yesterday I spoke with a businessman. He said that previously, he had to pay Tk 100,000 in bribes, now he has to pay Tk 500,000.”
