The Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, is set to officially launch its new initiative, Bangladesh Reform Watch (BRW), on Monday, aimed at assessing the progress of reform measures undertaken by the interim government.

In a press release issued on Sunday, the platform said that the July uprising had generated strong public expectations for reforms expected to play a vital role in driving socio-economic development, strengthening political institutions, and protecting human rights.

Through this initiative, the Citizen’s Platform will begin monitoring and evaluating the reform process with the goal of building a just, equitable, and accountable society.

BRW’s activities will be carried out in three distinct phases:

1.      The interim period – monitoring action plans implemented by the current government;

2.      The election period – reviewing political parties’ manifestos and public debates;

3.      The post-election period – tracking reform priorities and their implementation by the elected government.

Citizen's Platform said it wants to assess the feasibility of funding for the reform processes and the capacity of the government agencies to implement the reforms. It also aims to ensure that the concerns, views, and participation of marginalised communities are reflected in the reform process.

Under the initiative, the BRW will observe and evaluate reforms in areas such as public financial management, the capital market, banking and the financial sector, energy transition and security, and public services.

The platform will examine the reform progress in the areas of ensuring decent employment and labour rights, social protection, education, health, agriculture, land management, Bangladesh's graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category, progress in ensuring gender equality, media and freedom of expression, universal human rights, and the data ecosystem.

The platform said the BRW initiative will be a collaborative civil society effort, in which more than 150 organisations at both the national and grassroots levels are partnering, along with private sector leaders, experts, and professional groups.

Regarding the initiative, Debapriya Bhattacharya, convenor of the Citizen’s Platform and distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said that no reform effort can be effective or sustainable without active citizen participation.

 He mentioned that the Bangladesh Reform Watch (BRW) will monitor both the implementation and progress of the government’s reform measures.

 “BRW will work to develop an inclusive reform agenda that promotes accountability in implementation and addresses the concerns of marginalised communities,” he said. “We also hope that these reform proposals will be appropriately reflected in the election manifestos of political parties in the coming days.”