CHALLENGES OF GOVERNANCE IN BANGLADESH

Focusing on the governance agenda that crystallized in the early 1990s, this article examines how institutional design and administrative capability shape Bangladesh’s development outcomes. It situates corruption control, judicial effectiveness, decentralization and civil-service incentives within the practical constraints of revenue mobilization and political coalition-building. The analysis highlights coordination failures between ministries, weak project execution and the under-provision of urban services, while also noting islands of efficiency in health, primary education and disaster management. It argues that governance debates must move from generalized lament to problem-driven diagnostics that identify bottlenecks at the point of service delivery. By unpacking procurement, audit and cadre management processes, the paper shows where reforms can raise productivity and legitimacy, and how citizen feedback and digital tools can realign incentives for officials and contractors alike.

The body opens with a framework linking governance functions—rule of law, bureaucratic quality, voice and accountability—to sectoral performance. A second section dissects budget formation and execution, tracking leakages and rigidities that delay capital spending. A chapter on local government explores fiscal transfers, own-source revenue and oversight gaps that blunt responsiveness. The civil-service section analyzes recruitment, postings and performance reviews, and proposes merit-protection coupled with managerial autonomy. Another section evaluates anti-corruption strategies, comparing compliance-driven approaches with open contracting and e-procurement, and shows how transparency reforms can be paired with credible sanctions. A final section sets a practical agenda: simplifying schemes, sequencing reforms to win early gains, and institutionalizing learning through delivery units and independent evaluation. The conclusion argues that governance is ultimately a continuous capability-building process, not a single reform moment.