B Mirror Report: The Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Fahmida Khatun, today presented a comprehensive set of policy priorities for the newly elected government, cautioning that urgent structural reforms are the only viable path to restoring macroeconomic stability. She described the current period as a critical juncture for policy recalibration, where sustained macroeconomic discipline is essential to ensure stability and promote inclusive, resilient growth. She made these remarks at a roundtable titled “Looking into Bangladesh’s Development: Priorities for the Newly Elected Government in the Short to Medium Term,” jointly organised by CPD and The Daily Star at BRAC Centre Inn in the capital.

Dr. Khatun noted that Bangladesh’s economy has faced considerable instability in recent years, marked by rising inflation, constrained fiscal space, subdued private investment, vulnerabilities in the monetary sector, mounting debt, pressure in the energy sector, and political uncertainty during the transition period. She observed that following the election, the newly elected government has assumed office with a renewed mandate to restore macroeconomic stability, strengthen institutional governance, rebuild investor confidence, and generate employment opportunities.

Emphasising the need for coordinated action, she said restoring macroeconomic stability must begin with disciplined monetary and fiscal policies. Interest rate management, exchange rate adjustments, and prudent public expenditure should work in tandem to contain demand pressures and anchor inflation expectations. She also highlighted the importance of addressing supply-side bottlenecks through improved storage facilities, better transportation systems, and strategic food reserves. Furthermore, she called for ensuring a market-reflective and stable exchange rate, strengthening market monitoring, expanding targeted social protection programmes, deepening banking sector reforms, and safeguarding the independence of the central bank.

Concluding her presentation, Dr. Khatun reiterated that the newly elected government has a renewed mandate to rebuild market confidence through strong institutional governance. She warned that the window for meaningful policy recalibration is narrow and stressed that firm commitment to structural reforms is essential to stabilise the macroeconomic environment and create the employment opportunities required for the country’s growing youth population.