CPD Chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan has said that over the last decade, crony capitalism has spread from the parliament to the district, upazila and even union levels, fostering an undemocratic attitude within the government.
He made the remarks while delivering a lecture at the annual international research conference organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) on Saturday.
Delivering a lecture titled "Agenda for Economic and Social Reform" during the second session of the conference, chaired by BIDS Director General Dr Binayak Sen, Prof Sobhan highlighted key structural issues in the country.
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“There is a structural problem in our country. For this reason, sustainable development will not be possible if institutional reforms are not carried out. Our export sector cannot be limited to clothing only,” he said.
Rehman Sobhan stressed the need for export diversification, saying, “When the market does not work in our construction industry and other industries, including the ceramic industry, the state has to intervene. But here the state itself is unable to play an effective role.”
Prof Sobhan acknowledged improvements in certain social indicators, including sanitation facilities, maternal mortality, and child mortality.
He, however, expressed concerns over the rise of crony capitalism, which he said has led to undemocratic tendencies in governance.
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Speaking about anti-discrimination, he shared a personal anecdote: “I have been talking about anti-discrimination all my life, but how much progress has been made is a big question because I was a member of the Planning Commission, when I was going to a function with the status of a state minister, my car's starter stopped. Then I had to push the car. And now the members of the Planning Commission need AC in their cars. Even branded cars worth crores of taka are used.”
Prof Sobhan also pointed to regional inequalities, noting that areas like Rangpur suffer from significant disparities compared to Dhaka and Chattogram.