Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said on Monday that while dividing the National Board of Revenue (NBR) was the right decision, the manner in which it was executed was not.
Speaking at a citizen dialogue titled “Policy Reforms and the Upcoming National Budget” at a hotel in Dhaka’s Gulshan, he said, “The division of NBR aligns with our white paper recommendations, but the way it was done is problematic. It lacked proper consultation and curtailed the role of professionals while increasing centralized control over autonomous areas. That’s not the right way.”
He emphasized that the key challenge now is to carry out the division properly.
Reflecting on the political and economic landscape, Debapriya stated that many of the politicians involved in the corruption and misappropriation under the previous government have fled, business groups have become inactive, while bureaucrats have once again become dominant.
Criticizing the government’s lack of focus on economic reform, he said, “One of our main concerns is that, while the government shows interest in various reforms, it lacks the same level of commitment to economic reform. That’s a serious problem, and they fail to grasp that without economic stability, no other reform can be truly effective.”
Despite the prevailing inconsistencies and shortcomings, Debapriya believes the implementation of the upcoming budget will largely depend on four factors:
