A journal review session took place on January 26, 2017, at the Meeting Room of BRACU Savar campus. Mr. Istiaque Hossain Molla, faculty member of Bangladesh Studies, discussed the article titled ‘Administrative reform in Bangladesh: Three decades of failure’ written by Abu Elias Sharkar.
The article focused on the administrative system of Bangladesh. It discusses the perspectives on administrative reform in developing countries and the overall scenery of Bangladesh civil service and administration. Mr. Istiaque mentioned problems with the administrative system addressed by the writer, some of which have been prevailing since the Pakistan period. Other administration problems include lack of political commitment, limited capacity of government, bureaucratic resistance, factionalism in the public sector, ineffective basic public management process, corruption, and the politicization of administration. The discussion turned to various reform initiatives in Bangladesh in different political and military regimes.
Mr. Istiaque further discussed the writer’s recommendations such as the donors’ role in reforms. The role of international donor agencies and NGOs can also be included in public administration lectures. The article emphasizes on new public management that focuses on service rather than hierarchical bureaucracy.
At the end of the discussion, faculty members shared their opinions related to the article.