Public policies are government guidelines to guide people’s behaviour so that it significantly contributes to the country’s overall cyclical development by creating an enabling environment. A paradigm shift in public policies is to move from theoretical views to practical guidelines suitably fit to make a nation global market. In Bangladesh, traditional public administration was replaced with new public management, which meant the re-inventing of the government, and introducing new ways of governance like e-governance where people and their benefits were placed at the center.

Bangladesh is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. And to achieve this, it required multiple activities to vibrantly activate the economy and society as well as to move further at a sustainable speed in the future. The priority of the government after achieving a middle-income country tag is to reach the level of a developed economy. Bangladesh envisions becoming a developed nation by 2041 for which huge development activities need to be initiated. Public policies are the key guidelines to translate government vision into reality.  From agenda-setting of policymaking process to implementation are the key challenges which are intended, but must be addressed to achieve the vision set by the government.

For achieving this, the government has to launch mega projects and multiple economic activities, involving huge investment. This poses a big challenge for the government, which needs to not only come out with effective policies but also to implement them effectively. But one has to remember that good governance and accountability are critical for economic growth, health, education, and high-quality public services.

Since most of us are conditioned by our worldviews and experiences, it limits us to foresee the complete picture with possible consequences. Scholars believe that policies need to be well-explained and for this, the role of information media is very crucial as they need to inform and analyze it well. Most often bureaucrats are criticized for their resistance to change and this must be countered with by taking people-oriented policy initiatives.

Bangladesh needs to invest in quality education

Bangladesh has over the years faced many challenges that have hindered its growth story. The challenges include the influx of Rohingyas, the slow adaptation of technology, relocation of business, and the impetus to commercial activities. The pandemic has further slowed the process. Some challenges can be addressed nationally but some are global, based on mutually agreed bilateral and multi-lateral collaborations. The gravity of the problem dictates the adoption of different strategies in finding a better solution.

It has been seen that projects and programmes in Bangladesh have turned out poorly. Blame-game further delays the process. In such a situation, who would be the torchbearers? Today’s graduates of academic institutes and young civil servants could be the strategic leaders who could lead Bangladesh in the coming years.  In order to lead the country, we need committed, morally strong, and an out of the box thinkers, who are decisive and resilient in their approach. And for this, the country needs to invest in quality education as well as in training.

Of course, investment in big projects is required. But ensuring quality is a big challenge, which will ultimately affect the total development of the country. In addition, corruption, money laundering are the other big threats that hinder the development of the country.

Think big, act bigger

Think big, act bigger should be the key philosophy of tomorrow’s leaders and by which public policies ought to be designed. In that public leader of tomorrow need to think globally and act locally. However, the initiatives, which are intended to adopt, must be economically viable, environmentally fit, and acceptable by the beneficiaries for whom these are taken. Moreover, policies need to be influenced by next-generation public administration philosophy where the happiness of citizens is in the main aim, and which requires a shift from the traditional policy outputs. 

It also needs to be realized that governments alone cannot do everything. It calls for collaborative governance where inputs of all relevant actors are taken into account for government policy formulation as well as its implementation. Government endeavours so far have been quite commendable. There is no doubt about this. However, the question is whether these initiatives are really sufficient enough to effectively lead Bangladesh in the next 21 years and are we in a position to set a comprehensive plan for short, mid and long-term mission to achieve the vision covering all sectors i.e. education, agriculture, housing, environment, water, health, infrastructure, energy and power, industry, service, employment, a safety net for elderly and disabled, drugs and narcotics, and the like.

The government needs to be well-equipped to translate such initiatives into reality and make the public sector capable of taking a lead role regionally and globally.

(The writer is a faculty member at Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC). The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at rez@bpatc.org.bd, rezapatc@gmail.com)