The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has urged the newly elected government to implement comprehensive policy reforms to restore macroeconomic stability and address mounting economic challenges.
At a roundtable titled “Looking into Bangladesh’s Development: Priorities for the Newly Elected Government in the Short to Medium Term”, organised jointly by CPD and The Daily Star at BRAC Centre Inn, Executive Director Dr Fahmida Khatun outlined key reform priorities and warned that immediate structural adjustments are essential to revive stability and confidence.
She described the present period as a critical opportunity for policy recalibration, stressing that sustained macroeconomic discipline is necessary to promote inclusive and resilient growth.
Dr Fahmida Khatun noted that the economy has recently faced pressures including rising inflation, constrained fiscal space, subdued private investment, vulnerabilities in the monetary sector, high public debt, energy sector challenges and political uncertainty during the transition phase.
She said the new administration must prioritise coordinated monetary and fiscal discipline to restore stability. Interest rate policy, exchange rate management and prudent public expenditure should work together to contain demand pressures and control inflation.
The economist also called for addressing supply-side constraints through improved storage facilities, transport infrastructure and strategic food reserves.
She emphasised maintaining a market-driven yet stable exchange rate, strengthening market monitoring, expanding targeted social protection programmes, accelerating banking reforms and ensuring central bank independence.
Concluding her remarks, Dr Fahmida Khatun said the government now has a renewed mandate to rebuild investor confidence and institutional governance.
However, she warned that the window for effective policy recalibration is narrow, requiring firm and timely implementation of reforms to generate employment opportunities for the country’s youth and secure long-term economic stability.
