With only 22 days left before Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election, the country’s administration is showing signs of paralysis as ministries and departments await the transition to a new government. Routine work continues in some offices, but many ministries remain inactive. The interim government, in power for a year and a half since the July Revolution, has failed to implement meaningful administrative reforms, leaving bureaucracy and red tape intact.

Former bureaucrats and governance experts blame weak government initiatives and excessive reliance on the civil service for the lack of reform. They also cite unhealthy political competition to control the bureaucracy. The Muyeed Commission’s draft reform proposals, which sought to change promotion rules and restructure cadres, angered officials and deepened divisions within the administration. Meanwhile, the government’s demand for asset declarations from all civil servants created unease among officials.

Experts warn that the current stagnation poses a serious challenge for the incoming government. Unless political influence is removed from the bureaucracy, they say, the establishment of an effective welfare state will remain elusive.