AL regime forced administration to serve political interests: Debapriya

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya has said that politically motivated bureaucrats pressured others to serve the interests of the former Awami League government while preparing an economic white paper.

“The administration was mostly controlled by political influences,” said Dr Debapriya, also a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and the Convenor of the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh.

He said these during a press briefing at the NEC conference room following a meeting with 85 senior bureaucrats from across the country.

Dr Debapriya noted that when some bureaucrats attempted to raise objections, senior officials often forced them to align their views with the then political agenda.

He said: “Many officials became entangled in political ambitions, which led them into various challenges over time.”

Dr Debapriya also said that some bureaucrats managed to stand firm in their views and made a significant impact during the Awami League administration. Several of them shared that their differing opinions came at a high professional cost, including being denied promotions. The bureaucrats had highlighted issues such as the lack of capacity building, coordination, and willingness within the administration. They stressed the need for enhanced capacity building, better coordination, and a stronger commitment to reform.