Bangladesh 2.0 – A path for principled, pragmatic governance

We must take this chance to build on the past, present, culture, and heritage of the nation with a vision that is actionable, adaptive, fair, just, and inclusive, says Shafiqul Islam

Imagine a new way of governing Bangladesh where everyone’s voice is heard, and the government truly works for the people. The choice of Bangladesh 2.0 is intentional. This envisioned future builds on the past, present, culture, and heritage of the nation with a vision that is actionable, adaptive, fair, just, and inclusive. It is an evolving vision of change with continuity, much like how Gen Z often reboots and reconfigures earlier systems of social media outlets with newer versions that build on past experiences, but adapt to changing needs.

What Bangladesh 1.0 witnessed was seismic and unprecedented. The 2024 student-led uprising is perhaps the only movement anywhere in the world not led by a political party that toppled an existing regime. Political parties did not drive the movement but many provided moral and material support as it expanded and gained widespread public participation. This Gen-Z-led and organically grown uprising is distinctly different from recent youth movements in Egypt or Tunisia and even from the history of earlier student movements in Bangladesh. All these movements were part of, and led by, political parties. More importantly, after the regime's fall, students played a significant and instrumental role in shaping the transition to Bangladesh 2.0. Now is the opportune time to be bold, creative, and visionary.

“We, the people of Bangladesh, hold autonomy, inclusivity, accountability, and the pursuit of justice as the foundational principles to guide the formation and functioning of the government to serve all citizens of our nation.”

As we engage in imagining and creating Bangladesh 2.0, we must acknowledge the complexity of nation-building (Stephenson, 2005) and the fallibility of the human race – irrespective of geography, culture, religion, and time – and be principled in our ideals and pragmatic in their implementation.

THE IDEA OF JUSTICE

As we begin our conversation to create a just, fair, and equitable Bangladesh, rather than aiming for a utopian perfectly just society, it is more realistic to focus on how we can reduce injustice in the world we live in. Let us start by distinguishing between ‘nyaya’ (ideal justice) and ‘niti’ (institutional justice). While ‘nyaya’ refers to the guiding principles, ‘niti’ focuses on the rules, regulations, institutions, and lived experiences of people. A just system needs to prioritise ‘nyaya’—the reduction of injustice in people’s lives as a guiding principle—while ‘niti’ operationalizes ‘nyaya’ through rules and regulations within the judicial system. The proposed Bangladesh 2.0 governance system will be rooted in practical reasoning and the realities of human life. It will uphold the principles of autonomy, equity, access to opportunity, accountability, and responsibility. This idea of justice is a synthesis of ‘nyaya’ and ‘niti’.

By shifting the focus from ideal theories of governance to pragmatic solutions that matter, we can create a more flexible and realistic system, one that is attuned to the complexities and diversities of human values. Building on Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen’s ‘capability approach,’ (Wells) the proposed system focuses on what individuals can do and be—with their capabilities and constraints—rather than just the resources or rights they possess. This notion of justice involves expanding people’s capabilities to live the lives they value. It can guide action to reduce injustice by enhancing human capabilities, engaging in public reasoning, and addressing the plurality of human values to create a path toward achieving a more just Bangladesh.

AN ACTIONABLE IDEA

Emphasising the importance of capabilities and constraints, public reasoning, and nyaya-niti-based justice, we begin with one consequential idea for action. Framing and formulation of this idea begins with a national conversation to create Bangladesh 2.0. Given the deep level of mistrust in the existing system of governance, institutional malaise, and the nature of the interim government, let us begin by envisioning the Bangladesh 2.0 Governance System. The first component of this governance system is the Electoral Reform Ordinance. Admittedly, the scope and structure of this ordinance need to be discussed with legal experts for its initial implementation and constitutional ratification after the election. It is useful to think of this discourse as the beginning of a national conversation to create the basis for Bangladesh 2.0.

KEY FEATURES OF THE ELECTORAL REFORM ORDINANCE

The Electoral Reform Ordinance will synthesise fair representation at the national and local levels, ensuring that everyone, no matter where they live or who they are, has a say in how the election is conducted and the governance system is implemented. More importantly, it will include specific input from students as a watchdog group. Such active engagement of students in the governance of a country is distinctively unique and has the potential to become a global model.

First, everyone will have two votes in an election: (a) Vote 1 is for a local representative (Member of Parliament, MP) who knows and understands the needs of your community; and (b) Vote 2 is for a political party that you think should have more power at the national level. This way, as an active citizen, you can elect someone who knows the pulse of the community and can actively advocate for its betterment, while the overall government (Jatiya Sangsad, National Parliament) reflects the preferences of people across the country. The executive branch would be led by a prime minister, elected by the Jatiya Sangsad, who would be the leader of the party or coalition with the most seats.

Second, the proposed system will include provisions for students to have a significant role in national-level decision-making. The proposed "Shadhin Chattra Pareeshad" will be a student-led group that will: (a) monitor the government's activities to ensure they are acting fairly and transparently; (b) provide feedback and hold the government accountable; and (c) ensure that this group remains independent of political parties but in close contact with different branches of the government to ensure pragmatic pursuit and implementation of different components of Bangladesh 2.0. Students from all universities will elect representatives every year, who will then form the core of this watchdog group following some variants of the Spokescouncil process (Seeds for Change) that enable consensus building with hundreds and thousands of people. They will act as the "people’s ombudsmen," (Wikipedia) ensuring that Bangladesh’s government remains just and transparent.

Third, to ensure that everyone is included, especially those who have been left out in the past (like women, minorities, and indigenous people), there will be special seats reserved for them. These seats will be allocated based on the percentage of votes they receive, ensuring that these groups have a voice in the government.

Fourth, local government bodies (e.g., Upazila Parishads, Union Parishads) would be given greater autonomy and resources to manage local affairs. Local elections would be held using a simple majority system, with strong mechanisms for transparency and accountability, ensuring that local representatives are directly accountable to their communities. A portion of national revenues would be allocated directly to local governments, with mechanisms for citizen participation in budget planning and monitoring. In Indonesia, decentralisation reforms have given more autonomy and resources to local governments, enabling them to manage education, health, and infrastructure more effectively. Brazil’s participatory budgeting process allows citizens to have a direct say in how local government budgets are allocated, leading to more transparent and inclusive decision-making.

Fifth, two-term limits will be mandated for all elected officials, including the Prime Minister, MPs, and others. This ensures that fresh voices and perspectives regularly enter the parliament and other decision-making bodies, prevents the concentration of power in one individual, and encourages the development of new leaders.

A PROCESS TO FORMULATE THE DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE

This is an evolving proposal to begin a national conversation to formulate an ordinance that will eventually be integrated into the Constitution after the election. Such an ordinance will provide the legal framework to hold a national election and facilitate the transfer of power from the interim government to an elected parliament. An Ordinance Formulation Council will be formed, consisting of members from the legal community, business community, student community, non-governmental organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. Over the next three months, a series of stakeholder engagement sessions will be organised by the Ordinance Formulation Council at the district level to solicit input and feedback to refine and revise this proposed ordinance. An International Facilitator Committee will be appointed to oversee the formulation of this ordinance as a consensus-based guiding document. Once the ordinance is finalised, an election date will be announced.

The proposed electoral reform ordinance is the first principled pragmatic step toward creating a fairer, more inclusive, and more accountable government in Bangladesh. By combining local empowerment with national fairness and engaging the student group as a watchdog, this system can help build a stronger and more united country where every citizen has a say in how the nation is run. Subsequent steps will include reform of the judicial system, economic system, and administrative system.

(Shafiqul Islam is the director of Water Diplomacy, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and professor of water diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, US.)

REFERENCES

Stephenson, Carolyn. Nation Building. The Beyond Intractability Knowledge Base Project. Jan, 2005.

Wikipedia. Fallibilism.

Wells, Thomas. Sen’s Capability Approach. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

The Spokescouncil (or Delegates' Meeting). Seeds for Change.

Wikipedia. Ombudsman.