We lack policy implementation, not formulation: Prof Rehman Sobhan     

With most of its efforts dedicated to policy formulation that is comparatively easy and draws more allure, the country has been seriously lacking policy execution, according to economist Rehman Sobhan.

"Not implementing the policy after formulating it with superfluous importance is not a new issue, instead we have been facing it for more than the past 50 years. The same issue persists even in other Asian countries," the noted economist told the publication of his autobiography "Untranquil Recollections: Political Economy of Nation Building in Post-Liberation Bangladesh" Saturday.   

He said, "In most cases, when people talk about policy failure or policy success, it is worthy to talk about how the policy would be implemented."

Rehman Sobhan said policy formulation mostly depends on the government, while the implementation depends on political goodwill and the administration. Many good policies fail to deliver the benefits often only due to a lack of goodwill of the administration.

Rehman Sobhan, a member of the first Planning Commission of Bangladesh, referred to his office experience. Despite being a member of the commission who was supposed to only formulate the policy, the economist said he used to visit the field-level development works.

"Now the success of policy implementation is largely limited to paperwork," he commented.

The economist advised the journalists to gather information at the field-level to verify the success claims by the authorities ranging from tremendous Covid recovery to astonishing mega project implementations.

The occasion was told that the autobiography is being published in three series. The first episode has been published, while the second episode published Saturday covers his experience of serving the Planning Commission.

The programme organised at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) office in Dhaka was moderated by CPD Distinguished Fellow Prof Rounaq Jahan. The moderator said the autobiography is a significant historical document that merits serious attention.  

She said Bangladesh needs to research the 1972–1975 period thoroughly, but there have not been enough documents to do so.

Former Finance Minister M Syeduzzaman shared some of his memories with Prof Rehman Sobhan at the Planning Commission.

Eminent jurist and former law and foreign minister Kamal Hossain said the memoir does not limit itself to economic dimensions only, rather it also reflects on the political challenges in building a war-torn economy.

Professor Rehman Sobhan said the real challenge immediately after the independence in 1971 was to put in place the building blocks where there was no functioning administration or economy.

The book sheds light on those challenges facing war-devastated Bangladesh such as formulating a foreign policy and designing economic policy, attracting foreign aid, negotiating aid, and setting up offices for governance institutions from scratch. Plus, the Bangladesh government had to deal with two consecutive famines that multiplied the challenges.

Professor Rehman Sobhan said the key challenge was putting policies into practice. He recalled some of his practical experiences involving obstacles that he and the Planning Commission faced, and how Bangabandhu guided them and provided them with political support, and also how some in the bureaucracy often put roadblocks on the way.

"Now the Planning Commission does some minor work, but it is not playing the key role in determining the policy. The commission executes and evaluates some projects, while the finance ministry is still in the driving seat," he commented.      

Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, noted the tension between political leadership and academic leadership, and the difference in understanding between the political concept of socialism and the Planning Commission's concept of socialism.

He said the rich content of the autobiography will prove to be not only a work of essential scholarship but also a document to which researchers will come back time and again.

"What this book offers to its readers can be demonstrated through multiple lenses — as a document of history, as a lesson in political economy, and as a source of economic analysis," said Professor Mustafizur Rahman, distinguished fellow at CPD.

Professor Abdul Bayes, former vice chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, said the 16 chapters in this volume are like 16 eloquent stories that transmit a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and insights beneficial for both old and new generations.

Dubai's Zayed University Prof Habibul Haque Khondker shared how Bangladesh moved ahead during its early years despite having the difficulties and very limited policy options and policy choices.

He acknowledged the strong role played by the Planning Commission led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's vision.