The immediate policy changes are those that are to be implemented ideally within one month. They are as follows:
Priority one: Elimination of all student politics in educational institutions
Student political groups (such as Chhatro League and Jubo League) have historically been associated with violence on campus.
Their violence has not been contained to party members but has spilled into the general student body population.
Abu Sayed was one such student who was impacted and killed by the brutality of these extremist student groups.
The conflicts have also been known to spill over into the broader community, affecting students, teachers, and institutions indiscriminately.
Because many student political organizations are affiliated with national groups, their goals normally do not align with immediate student and educational needs.
Key considerations
Considerations for this policy may include the intrinsic return to a quality education without the distraction of external motivations like national politics and perks affiliated with them (incentives and bribes).
This will allow educators and students to get the most out of their time. It is also imperative to note that though the recommendation is to ban student politics from campuses, it must be acknowledged that this policy may violate certain rights of expression, of speech, and of assembly.
In a country where democratic principles have been missing for the last few years, this restriction may lead to loss of morale for students.
Recommendations
The primary recommendation for enacting and prioritizing this policy is to enforce a ban with a plan for the ban to eventually be lifted once the country returns to normalcy. The policy should highlight, there can be a student government of elected representatives on campus that work to better campus and student policies not exceeding the guard rails of the campuses and not including any external influences.
Priority two: Elimination of the Cyber Security Act
The Cyber Security Act (CSA), as it currently stands, can be viewed as a significant detriment to the ability of everyone in Bangladesh to speak freely and without the fear of being harmed.
Needless to say, hindering a society’s freedom to express itself may lead to oppression, which is a most concerning situation for any nation.
Key considerations
The Act’s key terms, such as “cyber-terrorism,” “offensive content,” and “unlawful access,” are vaguely defined, allowing for broad and potentially abusive interpretation by law enforcement.
This ambiguity can lead to the mistreatment of individuals without accountability, with extreme penalties like life imprisonment and heavy fines.
The law's vague definitions enable misuse against those expressing dissent or engaging in activism, including journalists. Additionally, the Act permits detaining individuals without judicial oversight, risking significant abuse of power.
Recommendations
Elimination of the Cyber Security Act will pave the way for our people to express their opinions freely and engage in constructive dialogue with each other without the fear of being oppressed.
In the current age, the digital space is a key platform that is utilized for both positive and harmful deeds.
If the nation has safety and security concerns regarding this space, there should be a collective discussion around possible laws and measures that may be implemented to safeguard ourselves.
However, there should be appropriate oversight and clarity regarding such laws.
Priority three: Cull bribery for government services by legitimizing ‘processing fees’
Implementing a system where expedited government services are offered through official and transparent “processing fees” can significantly reduce the incidence of bribery, particularly in a developing country like Bangladesh.
This approach works by creating a legal and regulated avenue for faster service delivery, thereby diminishing the need for citizens to resort to under-the-table payments to expedite processes such as passport issuance or business licenses.
Research shows that in environments where bureaucracy is slow, individuals often feel compelled to pay bribes to get services promptly.
Key considerations
By introducing officially sanctioned processing fees, governments can eliminate this gray area, ensuring that all payments are legitimate, traceable, and standardized across various agencies.
India has historically struggled with bureaucratic delays and corruption in the issuance of passports. Citizens often had to resort to paying bribes to expedite the process. The Indian government introduced Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs), a system where citizens could choose to pay an additional fee for expedited passport services (NIC).
Recommendations and risks
The process should be digitized and streamlined, allowing applicants to track their application status online, reducing the need for in-person interactions and the opportunity for bribery.
The immediate risk is lack of infrastructure to support this initiative, but if proper funding is placed within a month with talented individuals, the creation of this can happen quickly.
Arneeb Mahbub, Product Marketing Manager, Indeed.com. Malika Begum, Strategy & Operations Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting. Fauzul Kabir Chowdhury, CIO, Embedded Logic Operations (ELO). Nameer Rahman, Director of Policy, Ontario Energy Association. Zarif Ahmed, Associate Director - Structured Finance, KBRA. Rubayat Khan, Director of Health Programs, Endless. Aaisha Bhuiyan, Sr Technical Program Manager, Amazon. Shamima Khan, Product Manager, Intuit. Special Thanks to the B/deshi community of over 500+ Bangladeshis spread across USA, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and of course, Bangladesh. Read part one. Read part three.