Reforms face uncertainty as post-election politics loom large: BIGD

Despite widespread aspirations for structural reforms, uncertainty and challenges continue to cloud people’s implementation in the post-election phase, speakers said at a dialogue organised by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) on Wednesday.The speakers cautioned that without firm political commitment and citizen participation, reform agendas risk remaining confined to policy papers rather than translating into real change.“I have not heard the two main alliances clearly articulate how they will implement reforms,” said Prof Rehman Sobhan, Chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). “There is little point in placing reform proposals on the table, even in writing, unless the next elected government takes responsibility for implementing them.”The observations came at a day-long event titled “Rupture, Reform, and Reimagining Democracy: Navigating the Agony of Transition”, organised by BIGD, BRAC University, in collaboration with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).The event ...

• 29 Jan 2026