Extortion is continuing after the recent political changeover in the country. The void left behind by the previous extortionists has been filled by new ones. Extortion is going on everywhere -- from footpaths to factories, said people taking part in a public hearing of the Committee for the Preparation of the White Paper on the Existing Economic Condition of Bangladesh.

More than 200 people from different professions took part in the hearing yesterday, jointly organised by the committee and the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at the Peninsula Chittagong.

They said that for the country's economy to be made more dynamic, jobs should be created for the educated unemployed young people.

They pointed out bureaucratic hurdles related to birth registration, passport issuance, trade licences, and land registration lead to hassles and financial strain on ordinary citizens.

Speaking at the event, eminent economist Debapriya Bhattacharya said, "Changing the king without changing the politics will not do. Those who sacrificed their lives [during the uprising] thought about reforming the state. So, we don't want to see the advent of a new tyrant instead of an old one."

The speakers have also mentioned that various organs of the state have somehow been associated with corruption, he added.

"Those who are supposed to enact and enforce laws have got involved in corruption in one way or the other. Those wearing uniforms have also got involved in graft. From this, we can realise the extent of the problem that we are dealing with socially."

Debapriya, also the chairman of the committee for the preparation of the white paper, said every citizen should participate in the process to change such a situation.

"We cannot expect that someone will do this job for us. We must realise our civic facilities ourselves. For this, election is an important step."

He said people have the opportunity now to avail their civic rights. "If we lose this opportunity, I doubt whether we would have another opportunity again."

Member of the white paper formulation committee Prof AK Enamul Haque, CEO of Business Initiative Leading Development Ferdous R Begum, Executive Director of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development Imran Matin, Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Kazi Iqbal and Executive Director of Research and Policy Integration for Development Mohammad Abu Yusuf, among others, were present.