Dhaka, Oct. 24 -- Eminent economist Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya on Thursday said that Bangladesh's interim government has been advancing reform discussions without involving key stakeholders.Speaking at a pre-election event titled "Citizen Manifesto" organised by the Citizens' Platform in Sylhet, he observed that the interim administration lacks a moral mandate since it is not an elected body.

Dr. Debapriya, a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), noted that while the government continues to hold talks on reform issues, it has yet to engage directly with citizens or major stakeholders even after more than a year.

"They are attempting to reshape the system without public consultation or participation," he said.The ...