The Covid-19 Learning, Evidence and Research Programme in Bangladesh (CLEAR), BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) organized a roundtable discussion on “Evolving State Society Relations in Bangladesh after the Pandemic: Where Are We Now?” at Hotel Bengal Blueberry in the city.
The roundtable held discussion around citizenship issues relevant to CLEAR findings on state- citizen engagement at the local level and also discussed what do these mean for CSOs working given political shifts. The discussion was divided under three thematic areas: a) digitalization; b) autonomy issues at the local government level and c) trust on NGOs/CSOs and their changing roles.
Dr. Imran Matin, Executive Director of BIGD, moderated the event and Dr. Sohela Nazneen, Senior Fellow and Programme Lead for the COVID-19 Learning, Evidence and Research for Bangladesh at the Institute of Development Studies, provided an insightful overview of the CLEAR research findings.
CLEAR research has revealed a generally positive assessment of official efforts to collect feedback from citizens. The aspiration to systematically listen and respond to citizens has gathered widespread approval. While there was a belief in the good intentions behind official efforts to listen to citizens, their effectiveness remained contested. CLEAR research also indicates that certain groups, particularly those in low-income urban areas and those newly pushed into poverty due to the pandemic, were not adequately covered by these measures.
Participants at the event discussed the critical role that civil society continues to play in the interface between state and society and came up with suggestions on how CSOs can continue to support the government in strengthening governance, service delivery and citizen engagement and learn from the pandemic time to respond to any future crises.
Notable CSO leaders, researchers, policymakers including Professor Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow, CPD; Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Chairperson, BRAC; Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, Secretary, SHUJAN; Dr Mirza M. Hassan, Senior Research Fellow, BIGD; Palash Kanti Das, Director, BRAC; Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director, TIB attended the event.
