100 days of interim govt: TIB slams coordination failures in decision making 

• Stakeholders unwilling to give time for reforms
• Media freedom at risk amid threats
• Violence, coercion endanger religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity
• India's stance strains ties with Bangladesh
• Despite these, govt takes some positive steps toward state reforms

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has criticised the interim government's lack of coordination in decision making across different sectors, with some decisions being reversed. 

The necessary strategies and roadmaps for implementing the responsibilities assigned to the government were not prepared in time and are still absent, TIB said at a press conference held in Dhaka yesterday. 

At the press conference, Shahzada M Akram, chief researcher of TIB, presented a report, titled "First 100 Days After the Fall of the Authoritarian Government in New Bangladesh."

The report found an ad-hoc tendency in government decision-making, formation of advisory councils and distribution of responsibilities.

In almost every field, the culture of control persists. Rather than eliminating factionalism, it simply leads to the replacement or reshuffling of groups, allowing new ones to emerge.

Although initiatives have been taken to prosecute those associated with the violence committed during the July-August movement, the process is progressing slowly, the report states. 

The study reveals that there is a noticeable lack of patience on the part of various stakeholders, including political parties, to give the government the necessary time for reforms.

Attempts to shut down some media houses along with targeted attacks and threats to the media are seen as a threat to media freedom. Gender, religious, cultural and ethnic diversity are threatened by violence and coercion, the report says.

The research also found that India's failure to accept the reality of the fall of authoritarianism and its consequent inaction has increased the risks for the interim government and the country in diplomatic relations being strained with India.

According to the TIB findings, while the international community generally supports the interim government, there are concerns that conditions attached to economic aid, especially loans from the World Bank, ADB and IMF, could lead to higher debt repayments, adding to existing financial burdens.

At the event, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, "If the election is held quickly without creating a legal and institutional environment along with specific steps to reform the state, the desired goal of the student movement will not be achieved. If elections are held before the reform of the state, the purpose of the movement will also be disrupted."

He said the reform commissions formed by the interim government are part of the state reform process. 

"These commissions will submit reports, and real reforms should follow based on those reports. Considering this, the government must clarify how much time it will need to hold the election."

About those who are raising various questions about the election period, the government should answer these issues, Iftekharuzzaman added. 

Evaluating the work of the interim government in 100 days, he said that in many cases very positive and useful steps have been taken to reform the state. But they have several challenges.

'India fails to accept reality of AL govt collapse'

TIB has also said that the Indian government, its politicians and the media have failed to accept the reality of the fall of an authoritarian government through popular uprising.

"They are still looking at Bangladesh from the point of view of supporting the authoritarian regime. We think that India has changed from the liberal idea that people had about India," said Iftekharuzzaman.

He added, "Even in the Indian media, the way Bangladesh is being talked about is dangerous and embarrassing for Bangladesh. It is embarrassing and shameful for India as well. We expect India to pull back from its position."