Inclusive development takes longer with weak politics: Experts

Bangladesh's economy is becoming more complex due to "non-participatory" elections, making the achievement of inclusive development a longer process, experts and economists have said. 

In times of weak conventional politics, the responsibility of social forces grows, and citizens must not stay silent, they said at a media briefing titled "Inclusive Development and the Goal of Justice: A Citizens' Agenda" in Dhaka on Saturday.

The more times someone has been elected in past elections, the more exponentially their wealth has increased, said Debapriya Bhattacharya, coordinator  of Citizens' Platform, the organiser of the event.   

Candidates' affidavits show there is a huge bump in assets from their previous affidavits. But their tax returns don't reflect that asset hike, he added. 

Three reports on governance were presented at the media briefing.

During the briefing, Debapriya, also a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), mentioned the promises made in the manifestos and saying that the evaluation of previous manifestos did not take place as expected, he said, "This election manifesto came during a political vacuum, which no one is interested in.

Bhattacharya concluded by saying that the solutions to the country's problems must come from within. "Relying on others for solutions is unwise," he said.

"We have observed numerous elections, including those in 1988 and 1996, where outcomes went against the vast public opinion. Such elections undermine sustainable development and shrink the space for accountability," Dr Bhattacharya stated.

He stressed the need for Bangladesh to combat corruption and enhance accountability across all state institutions to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He also commented on the election manifesto of the Awami League, noting its focus on the accountability of non-governmental development organisations and their funding sources.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and a core member of the Citizen's Platform, expressed concerns about the intentions behind the politicians actions.

"It's unclear whether their politics are driven by public welfare or personal wealth accumulation. The transparency in their commitment to welfare and concealment of their wealth acquisition motives is questionable," he observed.

He also noted the weakening of state regulatory bodies, unable to scrutinise the sources of income of candidates, which, in some cases, have increased exponentially. 

The event, moderated by Professor Mustafizur Rahman, another distinguished CPD fellow, marked the release of research reports.

These reports covered topics like gender-based violence, discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, and ways to amplify the voices of marginalised communities.

In a paper, titled "Access and Justice for Ethnic and Religious Minorities", presented by Farhan Hossain Joy, research associate, Nagorik Uddyog, it was recommended for a review of national curriculum and textbooks at all levels to eliminate content promoting intolerance towards different religions, beliefs, or races.

The paper, styled, "Effective Implementation of Laws and Judicial Process for Eradicating Gender-based Violence and Discrimination" was presented by gender analyst and development professional MB Akhter.

The paper recommended, review and redefinition of "rape" in th penal code. It also suggested specifying sexual harassment issues like marital rape, rape against boys and men, and individuals with diverse gender identities.

The other paper, titled, "Giving Voice to the 'Silent' and Establishing Democratic Accountability", was presented by Dr Asif Mohammad Shahan, associate professor, Department of Development Studies at University of Dhaka.

It said dominance of the executive is affecting the marginalised groups in three different ways.