CPD welcomes announcement of interim government to hand over power

The Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a private research organization, has welcomed the announcement of an interim government to hand over power through elections in February. The organization also expressed hope that the elected government will implement the ongoing reform initiatives. The interim government took charge of running the country on August 8 last year amid various challenges including rising defaulted loans, a slowdown in investment and expatriate income, falling reserves, and high inflation. A year later, on Sunday (August 10), CPD organized a dialogue on the successes and failures of the government’s steps to overcome the existing challenges at a hotel in the capital. At the event, businessmen expressed their anger over the energy crisis, extortion, and looting in the financial sector. The issue of defaulted loans of Tk 5 lakh crore came up. Bankers blamed political interference and the weakness of Bangladesh Bank for this. In response, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur highlighted the central bank’s various reform initiatives to restore discipline in the financial sector. BNP Organizing Secretary Shama Obaid said that the interim government only held meetings in the name of reforms. Rashed Khan, General Secretary of the People’s Rights Council, accused the interim government’s advisors of protecting the businessmen who benefited from the Awami regime. However, the research institute cited the prevention of the decline in the reserve even in the midst of a strained economy as a major success of the interim government. Along with this, the CPD applauded the interim government’s announcement to transfer power to the people’s government by holding national elections in February.