Referring to the interim government, CPD Distinguished Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya said that despite speaking of creating a “new force,” it ultimately became constrained by a small but extreme group. As a result, he argued, the government failed to act decisively and could not ensure the safety of citizens, raising doubts about whether it would be able to conduct a truly neutral election.

He made these remarks on Thursday afternoon at a press conference titled “Selected Policy Recommendations and a Proposed National Programme for the Next Government,” held at a hotel in Gulshan, Dhaka. The event was organized by the Citizen’s Platform for SDG Implementation.

Debapriya Bhattacharya, who also serves as the convener of the Citizen’s Platform, said the interim administration had promised reforms but did not demonstrate the required capacity, openness, or inclusive participation needed to implement them effectively. He criticized the government for prioritizing dialogue mainly with political actors while failing to present a broader vision that included national participation and engagement of all stakeholders.

He described the exclusion of stakeholders from the consultation process as a major flaw, noting two key consequences. First, those who had aspired to design a new political arrangement eventually became absorbed into the old system. They entered the electoral process and became part of costly election campaigns. Although some attempted to raise funds through crowd-sourcing, they were ultimately unable to reduce campaign expenses.

Second, he said, entrenched interest groups associated with the previous system regained influence. Following the mass uprising, many business leaders fled, politicians went into hiding, and bureaucrats returned to prominence. According to Debapriya, the bureaucracy has long been the main protector of the old order, and the interim government created the conditions that allowed it to reassert itself.

During the press conference, twelve policy statements and a proposed national programme for the next government were presented. The policy recommendations were outlined by CPD Distinguished Fellow Professor Mustafizur Rahman, while the proposed national programme was presented by CPD Additional Director (Research) Toufiqul Islam Khan.

Several prominent members of the Citizen’s Platform core group were also present at the event, including Asif Ibrahim, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Shaheen Anam, and Sultana Kamal.