Economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya has said that bureaucrats who supported what he termed a "thief regime" under the previous Awami League government are now reappearing after remaining inactive following the events of August 5.

Dr Debapriya, an Honorary Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), made the remarks on Tuesday during a policy dialogue titled “Bangladesh Economy 2025–26: Policy Reforms and National Budget”, organized by the Citizen’s Platform for SDG Implementation at Hotel Lakeshore in Gulshan.

“In the post-August 5 period, the politicians who helped create the thief regime have largely disappeared, but now the bureaucrats are reviving,” he said.

Debapriya expressed concern over the lack of visible progress in the country’s economic outlook. “There is no sign of economic turnaround. Government policies and strategies appear to be merely cosmetic, lacking the depth needed for real change,” he said. 
He warned that in the next fiscal year, 47 percent of total revenue would be used to service loan interest payments, while 27 percent would go toward subsidies. “This will force the government to borrow more from domestic sources, potentially creating pressure on private sector lending,” he added.

At the same event, Dr Tasneem Siddiqui, Chairperson and founder of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), criticized the lack of structural reform in labor migration systems. 

She said that although Malaysia is reopening its labor market, preparations are underway following the outdated framework.

“Training institutions have been established — around 40 in total — but most are non-functional due to the absence of qualified trainers,” she said. “Even when a few trainers are brought in from other places, it is far from adequate.”

SMS/