Background

After fifteen years of autocratic rule, Bangladesh underwent a historic political transition with the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina regime. Weeks of protests and a tragic massacre, resulting in over 1000 deaths, led to Hasina’s departure on August 5, 2024. An interim government, headed by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, took office on August 9, inheriting a nation plagued by institutional decay, economic instability, and widespread public distrust. The mass uprising highlighted two urgent demands: immediate free and fair elections and comprehensive institutional reforms to prevent future authoritarianism.

State institutions—including the judiciary, administration, law enforcement, and electoral system—had been systematically weakened to serve authoritarian interests. The Anti-Corruption Commission and Election Commission lost their autonomy, while the banking sector and energy industry were exploited for political gain, fueling widespread corruption. Draconian laws such as the Digital Security Act (2018) and Cyber Security Act (2023) were used to silence dissent, leading to a decline in press freedom. The scale of destruction left the interim government with the daunting task of rebuilding democratic institutions, restoring public trust, and ensuring justice for past human rights violations.

Recognizing this critical moment, the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) launched the Dialogue for Democratic Reconstruction, a nationwide initiative to facilitate discussions on necessary reform areas and hold the interim government accountable. Drawing lessons from missed opportunities in 1991 and 2007-08, CGS seeks to ensure that reform efforts are structured, inclusive, and action-oriented. The dialogues focus on 8 key sectors requiring urgent intervention, including constitution and constitutional bodies, human rights, judiciary, civil administration, law enforcement, economic policies, and mass media.

To achieve this, CGS designed a two-tiered dialogue structure, featuring national dialogues in Dhaka and regional dialogues across Chattogram, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Khulna. National dialogues bring together experts, policymakers, and civil society leaders to discuss institutional weaknesses and propose solutions. Regional dialogues provide an open forum for citizens to voice their expectations and concerns regarding the 8 identified reform areas.