Members of the NBR (National Board of Revenue) Reform Committee are struggling to deal with a dilemma: whether their proposals would be implemented by the interim government, or remain unheeded and just gather dust, like the White Paper on the Economy produced by a committee led by Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, or the work of the team tasked with "Re-strategising the economy and mobilising resources for equitable and sustainable development". Talking to UNB, two members of the Advisory Committee on NBR Reform this week expressed concerns over the eventual implementation of their proposals. “It is not about submitting our proposals, there should be a process in place to implement those proposals,” one of the committee members told UNB, on being granted anonymity to discuss potentially sensitive matters. Another member of the Committee questioned the political commitment, authority and capability of the interim government when it comes to implementing the proposals they put forward. “We will write down the bitter truth, whether the interim government accepts those or not,” he said. Govt is working to establish fair, business-friendly tax structure: NBR Chairman The reform committee members said that ultimately, the people of the country would make their own judgments on the basis of an array of factors, including the political commitment of the interim government. The Reform committee, formed on October 9, 2024, comprises two former NBR chairmen—Muhammad Abdul Mazid and Dr. Nasiruddin Ahmed—and three former members: M Delowar Hossain, Farid Uddin, and Aminur Rahman. It recently submitted its first draft proposal, which was on the separation of revenue collection and policy formulation within NBR. The committee in its first report highlighted that Bangladesh’s current tax policy deviates significantly from international best practices, which typically feature low rates, minimal exemptions, a broad base, progressive income tax structures, and value-based taxation. These deviations are seen as impediments to investment, revenue growth, and the establishment of economic and social justice. “NBR itself does not like reform, reform means reducing power,” one member of the NBR reform committee told UNB. A central recommendation of the report is to address the inefficiencies and conflict of interest arising from the dual role of the Secretary of the Internal Resources Division (IRD) and the NBR Chairman - currently both positions are held by the same individual. The next draft proposal of the taskforce, which will be on automation, is likely to be submitted in the next month, according to a Committee member. The 12-member taskforce, titled "Re-strategising the economy and mobilising resources for equitable and sustainable development", led by former director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr KAS Murshid. Better governance in focus for boosting revenue in next budget: NBR Chairman The committee submitted its report to the interim government on January 30, but recently the head of the taskforce expressed his frustration saying that some advisers did not even open the report once to read it. On the other hand, members of the committee responsible for drafting the White Paper on the state of Bangladesh’s economy have recently voiced their dissatisfaction regarding the lack of governmental action following the submission of their comprehensive report. The 12-member committee, led by Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), was established in August 2024 to assess and document the nation’s economic challenges. The White Paper unveiled significant irregularities across four major sectors, notably energy and physical infrastructure. The report highlighted discrepancies in data accuracy, cost assessments, and information transparency. Furthermore, it exposed a concerning nexus among politicians, bureaucrats, business figures, and certain civil society members, suggesting a systemic culture of financial misconduct and autocratic governance. Despite the gravity of these findings, committee members have expressed frustration over the government’s inaction. Their concerns principally include: • Lack of Acknowledgment: The government has not formally recognized the report’s findings, nor has it initiated public discussions or debates based on its content. • Absence of Policy Response: There has been no indication of policy reforms or corrective measures addressing the issues highlighted in the report. NBR launches Spot Assessment programme to increase tax net • Transparency Concerns: The committee’s call for increased transparency and accountability appears to have been overlooked, undermining efforts to combat systemic corruption.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya has said that Bangladesh is already caught in the middle-income trap due to the low productivity of its labour force across the industrial, agricultural and services sectors. He made the remarks during a roundtable titled ‘Bangladesh’s Aspiration to be a Middle-Income Country: Trajectory, Reality, and Perils’, held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Tuesday. The event was organised by Diplomate World, the only diplomatic publication magazine in Bangladesh. “Changing a government does not necessarily mean a change in governance. Without addressing this culture, reforms will not yield any meaningful results,” Dr Debapriya pointed out. He said that the manufacturing sector remains overly dependent on the garment industry, underscoring the need for incentives to unlock the potential of other sectors, including jute, leather and IT, to achieve effective export diversification. Decline in Education Quality Dr Debapriya, head of the White Paper Drafting Committee and a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said that the quality of education in Bangladesh has deteriorated significantly. “The country allocates less than 2 percent of its GDP to education, one of the lowest rates among comparable economies.” Read: Bangladesh needs green growth to achieve its vision of upper middle-income country by 2031: WB Highlighting inefficiencies, he said that much of the education budget is absorbed by non-productive expenditures such as salaries, leaving a disproportionately small amount for actual development. “Rather than setting up universities in every district, improving the quality of primary education should be prioritised,” he emphasised. High Migration Costs and Corruption Dr Debapriya also addressed the high cost of migration for Bangladeshi workers, which is three times that of Nepal. “This is due to corruption. A syndicate is exploiting migrant workers, draining their earnings without offering any tangible benefits,” he said. Urbanisation Challenges Unplanned urbanisation and industrialisation have created significant challenges, particularly in traffic management, law and order and the delivery of quality public services, Debapriya  said. “These issues present another major hurdle for Bangladesh as it seeks to escape the middle-income trap,” he added. Read more: Over 80% of neurological deaths, health loss occur in low- and middle-income countries: Study Former diplomats, Foreign Service officials and academicians, among others, attended the event.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), on Thursday described national data as the "Fifth Pillar of the State" and called for the protection of a national eco-data system. "If we want to drive development of Bangladesh towards advancement, the existing lack of data, if this lacking cannot be mitigated, then the planning will not be right resulting in the non-up to the mark implementation,” he said. Dr Debapriya made the remarks while delivering the keynote speech at the Distinguished Lecture Series: “The State of Bangladesh Economy: What Is To Be Done?” at a city hotel. The Bay of Bengal Institute and Cosmos Foundation jointly organised the event. Read: Roundtable discusses data integrity for development Cosmos Foundation Chairman and Bay of Bengal Institute Chairman Enayetullah Khan delivered the welcome speech, while Cosmos Foundation President Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury chaired the programme. Ambassador (Retd) Tariq Ahmad Karim, Honorary Emeritus Adviser to Cosmos Foundation and President of the Bay of Bengal Institute, delivered the closing remarks. Debapriya, also the head of the white paper committee, said the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics has to be established on a modern and scientific base. “And it should be given protection, for that National Statistics should be seen as the fifth pillar of the state. And like the Election Commission and Public Service Commission it should be turned into a commission,” the eminent economist said. August floods: Curtain rises on ‘Art for Aid: Rebuilding Lives’ at Gallery Cosmos  

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, a renowned economist and policy analyst, has disclosed that significant irregularities have been uncovered within Bangladesh's banking and energy sectors over the past 15 years. Debapriya made the statement during a dialogue on the ‘Current Economic Situation and Launching of Open Budget Survey 2023 Results’ held at the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) on Thursday. Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID), International Budget Partnership (IBP) and Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) jointly organised the event. The committee on the ‘White Paper on the State of Bangladesh Economy’ is set to submit its final report on the financial sector to the chief adviser on Sunday, with plans to publicly disclose it on Monday, he said. He pointed out that huge looting had taken place, particularly in the banking and energy sectors, and these issues will be highlighted in the forthcoming report. "The committee formed by the government to prepare the white paper was given three months' time. Our work has already been completed. We have received millions of data. Editing is underway. Hopefully, we will hand it over to the chief advisor next Sunday," Debapriya said. Read: Employees to face action for graft, irregularities; land ministry issues circular He went on to say, "Many initiatives have been taken to bring about changes in the economy through the change of government. If we cannot return the wealth that has been created through corruption to the people, what kind of revolution is that?" Debapriya explained that the white paper committee had prepared the report after three months of discussions, reviews, data collection, and verification, involving secretaries, businessmen, citizens and relevant individuals and institutions. The 12-member committee was formed on August 28, under the leadership of economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, to highlight the overall economic situation of the country. The committee has been reviewing both the sector-wise and macroeconomic conditions. Read more: Islami Bank appoints 4 audit firms to investigate irregularities post S Alam Group takeover Dr M Abu Eusuf, a Professor at the University of Dhaka; Dr MA Razzaque, the Chairman of RAPID; Shawakat Hossain Masum, the Head of Online at Prothom Alo; Anarul Kabir, a Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance; Mohammad Refayet Ullah Mirdha, the President of ERF; and Abul Kashem, the Secretary of ERF, among others, joined the event.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, head of the committee tasked with preparing a white paper on the state of Bangladesh's economy, on Sunday said a section of bureaucrats driven by political aspirations had pressured others within the bureaucracy to serve the interests of the previous Awami League government. “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 made these remarks during a press briefing at the NEC conference room following a meeting with 85 senior bureaucrats from across the country. AL accuses interim govt of pursuing vendetta against the party 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. “Many officials became entangled in political ambitions, which led them into various challenges over time,” he added. However, Dr. Debapriya said 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, he said. He further noted that 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,” he added.

Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh on Thursday said the local-level development is affected by poor institutional effectiveness as the efficacy of public institutions has gradually eroded in the country. “Capacity of public institutions to service the disadvantaged groups, profile and prestige of local leadership have diminished overtime. Citizens’ voice has weakened too.” said Citizen's Platform Convenor Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya. Read more: Economic mismanagement creating instability in market: Debapriya He was addressing a media briefing in the city’s BRAC Centre Inn to share local opinions received from a series of sub-regional consultation meetings. The Citizen’s Platform arranged the seven consultation meetings between June and October this year to understand how much the local realities reflect the national development narrative. More than 500 engaged citizens from 25 districts of Bangladesh participated in the meetings and expressed their views and opinions. Dr Debapriya said that citizen’s voices, role of CSOs and NGOs and civic activism of students suppressed by a “culture of fear” that has intensified in the recent past. Middle class on the retreat He said that local situations reveal that the leadership role of the middle class is retreating in setting social norms and inclusive cultural approach in society. “Their socio-cultural role has been squeezed. The middle class is also under pressure due to lack of employment, high inflation and decline of income,” he added. He said that the disjunction has widened between national development narrative and local experience as there is uneven distribution of the development gains due to discriminatory design, weak delivery and limited access to resources and public services. Dr Debapriya said that, according to the consultation participants, the impact of ongoing inflationary pressure has fallen disproportionately on the marginalised groups and people with low income. “Traditionally ‘left behind’ groups are not being able to reach national averages,” he said. Read more: Economy needs transitional policy to overcome the crisis: Debapriya The gap between national development narrative and local realities, and asymmetries were aggravated further by lack of democratic accountability, he added. Focusing further on local realities, he said the rich tradition of cultural activities gradually receding; social fabric weakened as values of tolerance, trust and compassion withering away; and political space for pluralistic views, conversation and engagement narrowing. “There is rising concern among the district-level citizens that the smooth developmental progression of Bangladesh may get jeopardised due to adverse national and global economic outlook, as well as because of the apprehended political violence during the upcoming democratic transition,” said Dr Debapriya.

Eight prominent personalities have been awarded by the Rotary Club of Uttara, a leading club in Bangladesh, recognising their contributions to society. Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, an economist and distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), was among the awardees for his role as a policy analyst at home and abroad, said a press release on Saturday. The other awardees are educationist and former Principal of Dhaka College Professor Jahanara Begum, Debate for Democracy Chairman Hassan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron, Jamuna TV Special Correspondent Mohsin Ul Hakim, Bangladesh Tennis Federation’s Secretary General ASM Haider Ali, Corporate Sector personality Maruf Satter, Exim Bank’s Managing Director Haider Ali and Agriculturist Professor Md Abdul Wahab. Also read: 10 banks, 5 NBFIs get BIBM awards for sustainable financial performance Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi attended the programme as the chief guest.

Economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya on Thursday called for a roadmap for debt repayment of the top mega projects which will be started between 2024 and 2026. “A major shock is coming to the economy between 2024 and 2026 in terms of debt repayments for mega projects that cause concern for the economy. A plan is needed to deal with this situation,” he suggested. Dr Debapriya, a special fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a private think tank, spoke to reporters about 20 mega projects in the country in a virtual conversation on Thursday. Also read: Mega projects won’t affect the economy: PM He also said currently the ratio of foreign debt to gross domestic product (GDP) is 1.1 per cent which may be doubled by 2026. In response to the question of whether Bangladesh will be in trouble or not, he said, it will actually depend on how the country's reserve situation is at that time, and how well the economy remains. Debapriya also said that Russia, China, and Japan will have to pay more for big projects. Among them, China's debt repayment period is quite short. Also read: Huge amount of money being siphoned abroad from mega projects: BNP He analyzed 20 mega projects, including Padma Bridge, Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, tunnel under Karnaphuli River, Matarbari coal-based power plant, metro rail, rail connection of Padma Bridge and others. About Tk5.57 lakh crore is being spent on these projects. About 62 per cent of this is foreign debt. Debapriya also said that since 2009 there is a kind of national consensus on taking up big projects. Politicians show interest in it as visible development can be seen if big projects are implemented, he said. Even though 20 projects are scheduled to be completed by 2028, Debapriya said that it will not be possible to complete all of them in the current decade. He also pointed out that there is a lack of transparency and accountability in project implementation.

Distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya on Tuesday said that “Information Blindness” has been prevailing in the country. Dr Debapriya, also the member for UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP), made the remarks while addressing a discussion meeting on the use of financial information and right to information towards ensuring transparency and accountability. Read: CPD starts 4-day international conference on 50 years of Bangladesh Monday Organized jointly by the Asia Foundation, CPD and the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF), senior research fellow of CPD Towfiqul Islam Khan made the key-note presentation at the meeting held at the ERF’ auditorium at Paltan.   Debapriya said either the government or the concerned authorities could failed to perceive that information could be a supporting force. “There is also a lack of modern mindset on effectiveness of information towards optimum utilization of limited resources which is also not consistent with the moderate world,” He also opined that even such dearth in information and data is also not consistent with the development desire of the country as well as its efforts to ensure recovery from the pandemic, attaining the SDGs by 2030 and thus becoming a prosperous developed country by 2041. Moderated by ERF general secretary SM Rashidul Islam, its executive committee member and former Bureau chief of Reuters Sirajul Islam Qadir also spoke on the occasion.  Debapriya said since Bangladesh is now on the way towards graduation from the LDCs, such country needs to have “trigger indicator” to avail support from the international community if it faces any challenge beyond graduation. “So, the situation of graduation from the LDCs by Bangladesh has increased the demand for financial information by 100 times. Although the matter is acknowledged verbally, but no such action is still evident,” he said. He said after LDC graduation, sufficient support would not be available if there is no timely supply of full-fledged information. It will also tarnish the image of the country. Read: CPD for reinstating previous fuel prices During the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the global production and supply chain was halted which led to the decrease in demand. Under the circumstances, the governments had to increase expenditure, especially to the lagging behind communities, through various support measures. He said even the public representatives were not fully aware of the fact as to what was the overall stimulus package amount, who were the recipients and how much amount was disbursed. It was not possible to disburse even 20 per cent of the Taka 2,500 cash support (Eid Gifts) to each beneficiary due to lack of data and information. He observed that the researchers as well as the public representatives are not getting latest information. As a result, it is not being possible to make qualitative evaluation on education, health and in other sectors.

Speakers at a virtual dialogue on Wednesday stressed the need for using the country’s ‘disengaged youths’ for the development of the country. “Bangladesh youths have very innovative power and many of them are becoming entrepreneurs and surviving in the global competitions with their merit and talent. But there is another youth community who is not properly used for the country and the nation,” said noted economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya. Citizen’s Platform for SDGs Bangladesh and UNDP Bangladesh arranged the virtual dialogue on “Disengaged Youth in Bangladesh: Who, Why and How?” on the eve of the International Youth Day 2021, which would be observed on Thursday (August 12) across the world. Dr Bhattacharya, also the Convenor of the Citizen’s Platform said the disengaged youths are not engaged in education, training or employment. “We call them ‘Disengaged Youth’ not ‘Alienated Youth’ of the country,” he said. Noting that there is difference in opinion over the definition of youths, he said if the people aged below 25 years are considered as youths, they would be 45 percent of the country’s population, who will lead the global development programmes in future.   Read: Dhaka-Beijing ties can be prime mover for Bangladesh’s transformation: Debapriya However, the youths are badly facing the brunt of the ongoing pandemic situation, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, also a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). UNDP Resident Representative Sudipto Mukerjee in his introductory speech put emphasis on connecting the disengaged youths to the mainstream for keeping the commitment made under the 2030 global development agenda (SDGs) to ‘Leave No One Behind’. He said many young people are at a great risk of being deprived of the entitlement of leading dignified and productive lives. “If they will not be quickly connected, we would badly fail in achieving the agenda 2030,” he said. Researcher Maha Mirza said there is a lack of policy discourse to address the huge number of the youth population disengaged from the country’s socio-economic development process. “Since our planners and policymakers can’t think beyond three things –garments, remittance and 4th industrial revolution, the biggest portion of the youth community, who are engaged in different sorts of economic activities in information and formal sectors across the country, often remain out of their plans and policies,”  she said. Transgender rights activist Tashnuva Anan Shishir pointed out the absence of specific legal facilities, social stigma and lack of awareness are leaving the transgender youths behind. Read: Protect consumption, promote employment in next budget: Debapriya Disability Rights Activist Joshiah Sangma Chibol mentioned that people with disabilities are not a homogenous group, rather there are many dimensions to it. Different types of physical disability and social stigma prevents them from accessing general education and basic rights, which needs to be addressed for future development. Executive Director of Youth Engagement for Sustainability (YES), Bangladesh Shamim Ahmed said more focus should be on youth skill development and employment to contribute more towards the economy. The policies should not be urban-centric only, he suggested. Mohon Rabidas, Tea Garden Worker Rights Activist, commented that the youth of the tea garden workers community are mostly disengaged from the outside world and do not even receive proper education, for which they are unable to raise their voice. Jimi Amir of Bangladesh Open Source Network (BdOSN) said the term “disengaged” needs to be accurately defined to address the overall youth disengagement. CPD Senior Research Fellow Towfiqul Islam Khan moderated the dialogue.