The reason we have an interim government in place currently is a recognition of the fact that the existing systems we had in place prior to August 5 were broken or compromised beyond repair, and that if we want democracy to be functional and sustainable in Bangladesh, we needed a full reform of not just the instruments of government but its entire edifice.
There is widespread consensus -- even among the political parties -- that things need to change such that the Bangladeshi people will never again have to face the kind of oppression or repression that they faced from their government not just in July and August but even before then, and in many ways going all the way back to 1972.
It is understood that there needs to be fundamental realignment of the relationship between the state, the government, and the citizenry. That is why surveys taken show that the public is by and large OK with the interim government taking some time to reform institutions before holding elections.
This is why the six key commissions have been formed and why their findings will be so crucial. It is based on the findings and recommendations of these commissions that the reforms will be undertaken and the road back to democracy will be charted.
All Bangladeshis want democracy, but we also want our democracy to be both functional and representative, and that is why we are willing to be a little patient for the enactment of the reforms necessary to make it so. Everyone understands that these things are not fixed overnight.
However, while the general public seems to have sufficient patience to allow the interim government to fulfil its medium-term to long-term commitments to reform, it appears that they have less patience for it to get a handle on the short-term responsibilities of day-to-day governance.
No one questions that the interim government has stepped into an almost impossible situation in the aftermath of the collapse of the previous regime.
Not only is the full impact of just how dire the economic situation we were in as a nation only now coming to full light, but also the complete dysfunction and corruption within our institutions of state needed and still need to be set right. What has been 15 years in the breaking cannot be remade in 15 weeks.
Most difficult of all was getting the law and order situation under control, given the disappearance of half the police force. Giving the armed forces magistracy power may be frowned upon by those who worry about setting a risky precedent, but I don't hear anyone else coming up with a better idea.
That said, there remains much work to be done. Maintaining law and order is a daily responsibility that never ends. Similarly, minority protection, industrial unrest, bank solvency, and the price of essentials, are all issues, among many others, that need to be solved in the immediate term.
If they are to run the country effectively, possibly for a year to a year and a half, possibly for longer, then it is not feasible with the numbers we have now
When it comes to banks, the stock market, and the economy in general, merely stopping the bleeding has been an accomplishment, and such was the scale of the crisis that it is understandable that it will take many months before we are back on our feet.
But at the same time, people are looking for some immediate good news even as the steps are being taken to right the ship in the medium- to long-run.
No one doubts that this is a gargantuan task, and given the state of the nation that the interim government inherited on August 8, simply running the country day-to-day may be the toughest challenge that the government faces.
I can tell you one thing: It is certainly the most important.
Reforms are important too, but nothing trumps the here and now. The most pressing task in front of the interim government is to put the country’s house in order from an economic and law and order perspective.
We all want reform, but to get the time needed to enact reform, the government needs to retain the confidence of the public, and the only way to do that is to govern effectively. Right now what matters most is the day-to-day.
To that end, I think it is absolutely imperative for the cabinet to be expanded. It is all very well having a smaller cabinet for a caretaker government that is in office for three months and is tasked only with holding elections.
The remit of this interim government is quite different. If they are to run the country effectively, possibly for a year to a year and a half, possibly for longer, then it is not feasible with the numbers we have now, regardless of their good intentions. We cannot realistically have ministers with more than one major portfolio if we expect them to truly exercise their brief.
Similarly, given the chaos in the secretariat, in addition to the career civil servants in the ministries, each adviser must be given the power to bring in special assistants, private secretaries, and press secretaries. There is an enormous amount of work to be done and an enormous amount that needs to be communicated.
It is simply not possible with the human resources currently available. Not only that, but Bangladesh and the diaspora is filled with conscientious and committed young men and women who would happily give their time and energy to operating in an auxiliary role for the advisers.
One of the reasons that the chef adviser has been able to be so effective is that he is surrounded by a superb team including a special assistant, private secretary, press spokesperson, and de facto chief of staff.
If each of the advisers were to be surrounded by a similar setup, then their ability to deliver on their responsibilities would be magnified greatly.
What has always ailed Bangladesh since its inception has been good governance. That’s what we need now, even though it is a tall order for an interim government, especially one which took office in such unpropitious times.
But if we want good governance from the interim government, it is imperative that they be given the tools and the personnel to govern effectively and efficiently. Right now, they do not have enough of either.
Zafar Sobhan is Editor, Dhaka Tribune.
