Govt publishes Bangla edition of ‘Reforms of the Interim Government’

The government has released a Bangla edition of its reform publication outlining the changes introduced since the interim administration took office in August 2024.

The Chief Adviser’s Press Wing shared the digital copy of the book, titled Reforms of the Interim Government, on Monday. An English edition was published earlier on 8 February.

According to the press wing, the publication documents the political and institutional transition that followed the mass protests of July and August 2024, which led to the formation of an interim government headed by Professor Muhammad Yunus. The administration says it assumed responsibility at a time when the country was facing significant economic and institutional strain.

The book describes the conditions inherited by the interim government, including challenges in the banking sector, concerns over regulatory oversight, questions surrounding judicial independence and allegations of political interference in key state institutions. It states that reform efforts were aimed at stabilising governance structures while restoring public confidence.

Since taking office, the administration says it has enacted around 130 laws, including both new legislation and amendments, and issued more than 600 executive decisions. Officials claim that roughly 84 per cent of these measures have already been implemented.

The publication highlights financial sector reforms designed to strengthen oversight of non-performing loans and improve transparency in public procurement across government ministries. It also notes that the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics has been granted institutional autonomy to report economic data independently.

On the international front, the government points to efforts to diversify trade partnerships. These include an Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan granting duty-free access to thousands of Bangladeshi products, revised tariff arrangements with the United States, and financial cooperation with China involving extended loan maturities and infrastructure support. Diplomatic ties with regional partners, including India, have also been described as recalibrated.

The book outlines accountability measures taken during the transition, including anti-corruption cases filed against former officials and asset recovery proceedings. It states that law enforcement reforms have included disciplinary actions against officers and the introduction of human rights-based training programmes. The Rapid Action Battalion has been restructured and renamed the Special Intervention Force.

Judicial reforms described in the publication include placing courts under the administrative control of the Supreme Court and introducing merit-based procedures for appointing judges. Media-related cases filed in previous years have been withdrawn, and outlets previously restricted have resumed operations, according to the press wing.

The government also refers to a seven-month consultation process involving political stakeholders, which culminated in the July Charter, a document proposing constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening checks and balances.

While presenting the reforms as substantive, the press wing acknowledges that the process remains ongoing, stating that structural challenges built up over many years cannot be resolved within eighteen months. The Bangla edition, officials say, is intended to make the reform record accessible to a wider domestic audience.