Policy-making should be left to policymakers, not bureaucrats: Amir Khosru

Bangladesh needs a "serious direction" to streamline governance by reducing bureaucratic control and promoting private sector-led, digitally driven reforms, said BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury today.

"The bureaucracy should focus on implementing policy rather than making it, as overlapping roles have long hindered efficiency and accountability," he said at an economic reform summit at the Lakeshore Hotel in Dhaka today.

The event was jointly organised by Voice for Reform, BRAIN, Innovision Consulting, Fintech Society and Citizen Coalition.

Chowdhury, also a former Commerce Minister, cited an example from his tenure.

At that time, the then government handed over the responsibility of issuing Utilisation Declaration (UD) certificates for importing raw materials under a duty-free privilege to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

The decision, despite resistance from within the bureaucracy, helped curb corruption and improve efficiency.

He said at that time, exporters complained about corruption and delays in getting the certificates.

"I decided to transfer that responsibility from the Export Promotion Bureau to the BGMEA. The reform worked despite resistance against the decision. The private sector has managed it successfully ever since," he said.

He stressed reducing physical interactions between citizens and government officials to fight corruption.

"In developed countries, people can pay bills, renew passports, or complete official tasks online. We should minimise physical contact and move everything to digital platforms," he said, citing the government's Access to Information (a2i) programme as a key tool for simplification and accountability.

"If simplification, automation, and digitalisation are implemented properly through a2i, many of our governance problems will be solved," he added.

He said that bureaucrats often lack a grasp of citizens' economic realities. "Policy-making should belong to policymakers, and implementation to the bureaucracy," he said.