Governance-related issues under the scanner

The latest report of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) on 'The State of Governance Bangladesh 2013: Democracy, Party, Politics,' sheds light on the country's problems of democratic consolidation in the context of its development needs and priorities for making steady economic progress on a sustained basis. Bangladesh is at times cited as a 'development paradox', perhaps considering, among others, the 'disconnect' between its polity and its 'achievements' and 'successes' on the economic front in particular over the years, notwithstanding the odds and adversities standing on the way to accomplishing such 'feats'. The State of Governance (SOG) report 2013 of the BIGD does take note, quite befittingly, of the issues and concerns that have relevance to the development of political institutions and democracy in the country. Its analysis is based on the data of primary survey that was specifically conducted for the report and also on secondary data that were generated by any informant interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods, as the report mentions, were deployed for preparing it. All these lend credence to the findings of SOG 2013 report.

These findings, however, are no revelations by themselves. But they reinforce the fact that the problems of governance, as are widely known since long and also are corroborated by the experiences of the country's teeming millions in their interface with relevant organs or agencies or authorities, have rather been compounding, far from witnessing any effective move being taken to fix or address them so far. The SOG 2013, released by BIGD last week, elaborates the inter-related issues about governance, calling for "an enlightened social contract or national compact in which 'narrow party interests' are subordinated to those of the country's." There is no denying of this imperative. But are the key-players in the polity of Bangladesh prepared to heed to this? That is the moot point for consideration, more so in which the gains that were earlier achieved through democratic process are being set at naught. Mutual accommodation remains a far cry, for whatever reasons. Norms and practices of the major actors in the polity across the current divide, continues thus to be the fundamental constraints to proper functioning of a modern, constitutional democracy in Bangladesh.

Institutions matter most for addressing governance-related issues. This is one area of consequence for which Bangladesh remains mired in myriad problems. That also largely explains the reason for "the disconnect', mentioned at the outset. Strengthening governance is sine qua non for improvements, in both qualitative and quantitative terms, in public delivery of services that are rightly expected of the government to provide to the people in transparent ways. In this context, three critical factors — state building, democratic accountability and the rule of law — should come into a sharp focus. The SOG 2013 of BIGD has sought to examine such factors or ingredients, in a fairly objective manner. And its findings show that Bangladesh has faltered on this count, leading to its failure over the years in an uninterrupted sequence, to make progress in these three core areas of political development. As a result, its economic progress, notwithstanding some notable achievements so far in a number of fields, has remained below its potential. If this country is to achieve its cherished goals of attaining its status as a middle income country sooner rather than later, all its stakeholders do need to play an effective role in order to achieve "the full potential of citizenship in Bangladesh." This need can, by no means, be glossed over.