Chief Adviser (CA) Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus has instructed ministries and divisions to promptly implement the reform proposals that can be carried out independently, without requiring further approval.

A press release was issued in this regard by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing on Friday (June 20).

According to release, a meeting was held on June 16 at the Chief Adviser’s Office to review immediately actionable recommendations from the Public Administration Reform Commission.

The meeting was chaired by the Chief Adviser’s Principal Secretary M Siraj Uddin Miah.

It was stated that several reform commissions were formed by the interim government—established through a popular uprising of students, workers, and citizens—to address public expectations. While proposals involving constitutional and major reforms are being handled by the National Consensus Commission, the Chief Adviser has called for swift action on recommendations that can be executed directly by the respective ministries.

Following this, the Cabinet Division issued a letter on May 25 to relevant ministries and divisions.

The meeting revealed that out of 121 immediately actionable recommendations from five reform commissions, 18 came from the Public Administration Reform Commission, 43 from the Anti-Corruption Commission, 38 from the Judicial Reform Commission, 13 from the Police Reform Commission, and 9 from the Electoral System Reform Commission.

The main focus of the June 16 meeting was the 18 proposals from the Public Administration Reform Commission. Of these, eight relatively easy-to-implement proposals were discussed in detail. These include:

•    Installing hygienic toilets at highway petrol pumps

•    Making ministry websites dynamic

•    Forming managing committees in colleges and secondary schools

•    Operating community health centres through NGOs

•    Holding public hearings at regular intervals in all government offices

•    Reviewing the Right to Information Act and Official Secrets Act

•    Transforming the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics into a Statistics Commission

•    Strengthening digital transformation and e-services

Ministries and divisions have been instructed to submit their action plans to the Cabinet Division and the Chief Adviser’s Office within one month.

It was also instructed that the government has already undertaken 1,061 reform and development measures through 54 ministries. More reforms will be implemented gradually through regular coordination and review meetings.

The press release further said that such meetings will continue to be held regularly to push forward the remaining reform efforts.

MSK/